Kotka, Finland, 20 October 2008 – UPM and the shipping company Mann Lines have made a cooperation agreement on new import sea traffic from Harwich, England, to Kotka, Finland. The first cargo from the route will be unloaded in the Port of Hietanen in Kotka on 20 October. The main cargo from Harwich to Kotka is cars. The traffic is operated with UPM's Spain traffic vessels Misana and Misida, which transport mainly paper to Spain.

The cooperation of UPM Seaways and Mann Lines brings new sea traffic to Kotka. The previous unloading port in the traffic from Harwich was Turku. "Starting the cooperation with Mann Lines has strategic importance to us considering the development of our liner traffic. Transition of the Harwich traffic to Kotka is a good example of a successful cooperation between several different parties," said Jukka Hölsä, Unit director of UPM Seaways.

The import traffic from Harwich to Kotka is part of UPM's liner traffic to Spain and thus further improves the efficiency of the route, considering both costs and environmental load. "The transition of this traffic to Kotka is part of the centralisation of UPM's sea traffics, with which we aim to support the logistic position of our main ports," Hölsä said.

UPM (www.upm-kymmene.com) is one of the world’s leading forest products groups. The Group employs around 26,000 people and in 2007 made sales of EUR 10 billion. UPM’s main products include printing papers, label materials, and wood products. The company has production units in 14 countries and its main market areas are Europe and North America. UPM’s shares are listed on the Helsinki stock exchange.

Mann Lines and its sister companies within the privately-owned Mann Group provide liner roll on-roll off and container vessel services, ships agency, stevedoring, chilled and ambient warehousing, forwarding, chilled and ambient distribution, and European express freight.