Ukraine is going down

According to Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA), transshipment of containers in Ukraine declined by 6.45% from 371,520 TEUs in HI’13 to 347,573.52 TEUs in HI’14. Belgorod-Dnestrovsky port is somehow represented separately with its throughput of 110.52 TEUs. 

On the one hand, 23,000 TEUs is not a huge difference; on the other hand it can reach 50,000 TEUs by the end of the year if the trend does not change.

Actually, if we go into details related to transshipment of loaded containers we see a 17-pct growth in the first quarter of the year and a decline of 6.58% in the second quarter, from 144,125 TEUs to 134,636 TEUs.

Transshipment of loaded containers, quarter-on-quarter (2012-2014), TEU

As for the dynamics of imports and exports, the situation looks differently. 

According to USPA, total transshipment of import containers (including empty containers) fell by 8%, from 177,207 TEUs to 163,035 TEUs, while exports (including empty containers) declined by 3.6%, from 161,022 TEUs to 155,225.52 TEUs (plus 0.52 TEU of Belgorod-Dnestrovsky). 

In the first quarter of 2014, loaded containers demonstrated minimal increase: from 86,179 TEUs to 86,765 TEUs, with the plunge of 28.51% in the second quarter: from 88,070 TEUs to 62,958 TEUs.

Import transshipment of loaded containers, quarter-on-quarter (2012-2014), TEU

However, transshipment of loaded containers surged by 47.38% in QI'14:  from 46,278 TEUs to 68,206 TEUs. The second quarter also saw an increase: 27.87%, from 56,055 TEUs to 71,678 TEUs, which compensated the decrease in import transshipment of loaded containers. 

Meanwhile, exports of loaded containers in the second quarter have already exceeded imports of loaded containers by almost 10,000 TEUs thus leading to lack of equipment for export. Another problem is in a misbalanced use of different types of equipment: a lot of goods are exported in 40’ containers and the lines have begun to import empty containers needed for export.

In the result, import decrease will also aggravate the decrease of export due to lack of equipment. Though the equipment for export can be partly imported, the rates of such transportations can make export of some goods unprofitable.

Export transshipment of loaded containers, quarter-on-quarter (2012-2014), TEU

Besides, the fighting in eastern Ukraine prevents import/export from/to eastern regions and many companies have terminated their activities. Actually, eastern regions accounted for 35% of Ukraine’s exports and 20% of imports. Exports can be compensated by other regions of Ukraine (timber and grain) while 20% of imports is a direct blow on general transshipment volumes. As the decrease of imports exceeded 20% in the second quarter of 2014, year-on-year, Ukraine seems to have already lost the imports from the eastern regions. 

Contributed to IAA PortNews by Informall BG.