Financial crisis reduces cross-border travel
In October month the number of travellers through the biggest border point from Finland to Russia was reduced by more than a third. Cross-border trade plummeted.
According to Seppo Vento, head of the Imatra Customs station, the reduced number of border crossings is reminiscent of the situation in the late 1990s, when the value of the rouble dropped dramatically. Truck traffic from Finland to Russia was reduced by more than a third in October compared to a month earlier. In all, 5,600 trucks crossed the border into Russia. Behind the development lies the tightened economic situation in Russia. At the other two large frontier stations Nuijamaa and Vaalimaa, however, stable and even growing traffic is registered.
