The quantity of light alcohol, including beer, cider and long drink-type beverages brought from Estonia was up 40 percent, while 30 percent less strong alcohol crossed the border between Estonia and Finland in 2019 year-over-year, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

At the same time, trips by ferry from Finland to Estonia were down 3 percent.

Executive manager of the Panimo ja virvoitusjuomateollisuusliitto representing light alcohol producers in Finland Riika Pakarinen said that the reason Finns are bringing alcohol back from Estonia is Finland's high excise duties.

Estonia lowered its duty on alcohol by 25 percent in July after which quantities Finns buy from Estonia have started to grow again.

"This practice of brining alcohol from Estonia is explained in the fact that Finland has almost double Estonia's alcohol duties," Pakarinen said in a press release.

The study also found that the relative importance of people who bring major quantities or more than 100 liters of alcohol from Estonia has grown. About 40 percent of alcohol brought from Estonia is handled by people who move large quantities. In other words, just one-fifth of all passengers moved 80 percent of all alcohol brought from Estonia to Finland.

The study was commissioned by the Panimo- ja virvoitusjuomateollisuusliitto, services sector union PAM, Matkailu- ja Ravintolapalvelut MaRa and the Finnish alcohol traders' association SAJK.

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