Tallink Silja received tens of millions in Finnish state aid in recent years
Over the past six years, Finland has provided more than €70 million in state support to Tallink subsidiary Silja Line, according to figures from public broadcaster Yle.
Over the same period, Finland has distributed about €7 billion in business subsidies to roughly 121,000 companies, Yle reported, noting that support has remained high despite rising public debt.
Traditional industries have dominated the list of recipients, led by forestry giant UPM, which has received nearly €140 million in the past six years.
Silja Line has also consistently ranked among the top annual beneficiaries. The company received €13 million last year and €17.4 million the year before, while annual support between 2020 and 2023 averaged about €10 million.
Other shipping firms, including Viking Line and Finnlines, have also received tens of millions of euros in support.
Viking Line, which also operates routes serving Tallinn, received the second-largest share of corporate Finnish subsidies last year at €28.4 million, down slightly from €28.8 million the year before.
Yle said the large subsidies for shipping companies are largely driven by state reimbursement schemes for crew labor costs in commercial shipping.
Silja Line, a subsidiary of listed Estonian shipper Tallink, operates four ferries on two routes between Finland and Sweden.
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Editor: Valner Väino, Aili Vahtla
