Over 11,000 ships from over 100 countries visit the port of Gothenburg each year. As the largest and busiest port in Scandinavia, it’s no wonder that over 800,000 containers are shipped through the port each year. Gothenburg is the 2nd largest city in Sweden and it is located halfway between the capital cities of Copenhagen, Denmark and Oslo, Norway. The historic city of Gothenburg was originally founded in 1621, but it wasn’t until 1731 when the increase in international trade led to the founding of the Swedish East India Company. The trade industry in Sweden flourished as international shipping services to major ports of Scandinavia led to the increased importance of the port of Gothenburg. The port is the only connection to the North Sea and the Atlantic, and surrounding regions depend on the port for the receipt of cargo from around the world. Today over 30% of all cargo into Sweden passes through Gothenburg, and rail connections throughout Sweden and Norway allows for the easy transport of goods between the countries. The port ships and receives a very large volume of international automobile shipping services and it has several terminals dedicated to roll-on /roll-off vessels.
Today the port of Gothenburg has invested a significant amount of time into making the port one of the most environmentally friendly ports in the world. In order to further develop and enhance international shipping services into Sweden and Norway, the port heavily utilizes a network of rail tracks to move cargo. The port of Gothenburg sends more than 70 freight trains from the port each day with trains carrying a wide variety of products including cars, oil, paper, steel and forest products. The use of the rail network reduces energy usage by over 70%, and the vast distance between Sweden and key markets makes fast transport vital to the survival of the economy.
Some notable features of the port of Gothenburg, Sweden:
- The port of Gothenburg serves as a rail hub for international shipping services to other parts of Sweden as well as into its neighbor Norway.
- Gothenburg port is known as the leading example of environmental efficiency within the industry. In comparison to other major international ports, approximately 50% of all cargo into the port is moved by rail. The utilization of an expansive rail network cuts the cost of transport, reduces energy usage, and reduces road congestion and air emissions.
- The port of Gothenburg is the only port in Sweden capable of handling the largest container and roll-on / roll-off vessels in the industry and is the major point of entry and exit for construction equipment shipping and overseas car shipping services. In 2014 over 500,000 roll-on/roll-off units passed through Gothenburg.
- The ports strategic location makes it an excellent choice for the transshipment of goods within Scandinavia, the Atlantic North Sea and Baltic Sea countries.
For more information about the port of Gothenburg, Sweden please visit: www.portofgothenburg.com. To receive more information about our international shipping services or to receive an international shipping quote to Sweden, please visit our rates request pages.
