This year, the value of Finnish aluminum exports to Russia has doubled compared to 2023. A family company from Turku, a global manufacturer of studs for winter tires, is responsible for the growth. Its co-owner is the wife of the Minister of Education, the Finnish broadcaster Yle reported on Saturday.
In the first three quarters of this year, the value of aluminum exports to Russia exceeded EUR 22 million. In a similar period of 2023, it amounted to just over EUR 11 million, according to data from the customs chamber. Aluminum products are exported beyond the eastern border directly by ship or via the Baltic countries. Winter tire studs have a special share in aluminum exports, as well as in the entire export volume to Russia. IN Finland there are three companies producing them. However, only the products of one of them, Turvanasta – emphasized Yle in the report – are exported to Russia. The plant in Turku, founded in the late 1980s, produces approximately one billion spikes on average annually and is a global leader in this industry.
The Finnish public broadcaster points out that one of the co-owners of the company is Ia Adlercreutz, a relative of the company's director and also the wife of the Minister of Education Anders Adlercreutz and the leader of the Swedish People's Party (RKP-SFP).
There are no sanctions against spikes
However, aluminum spikes are not covered by international sanctions imposed on Russia. If the product is not on the list and there are no obstacles to export, it depends only on the company's decision whether it maintains trade with the East, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a comment, emphasizing that there is a certain risk that spikes used in many vehicles may also reach the industry. armaments and be used for military purposes at the front. When fulfilling the order, the company has no information about which country the spikes will ultimately be delivered to, argues Turvanasta's director, Mikko Salakari. According to him, closing the plant would be a bigger problem “from a moral point of view” because it would involve lower revenues, taxes and job losses. The Russians would have studded tires anyway Chinaif their production was stopped in Europe, he concluded. Customs office statistics show that at the end of 2021, over 900 companies exported abroad. After Russia's attack on Ukraine the number of entities systematically decreased, and currently less than 50 companies declare exports. The situation is similar when it comes to importing goods from Russia. Currently, a dozen or so companies deal with this, and three years ago there were almost 500 of them.
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