Handling of exports, imports and transit cargo at Russian seaports in January-October 2014 increased by 6% compared with the same period last year to 518,5 million tonnes, the Association of Commercial Sea Ports (ASOP) of Russia said.
The ASOP statistics shows that dry cargo amounted to 239.9 million tonnes (+ 13.3%), including: coal - 97.2 million tonnes (+ 14.7%), containerized cargo - 39 1 million tonnes (+ 5.8%), grain - 25.5 million tonnes (a 1.8 times surge), ferrous metals - 19.4 million tonnes (+ 6%), mineral fertilizers - 12.4 million tonnes ( + 16.5%), ferry traffic - 6.8 million tonnes (+ 24.5%), timber - 4 million tonnes (+ 7.2%) and scrap metal - 3.9 million tonnes (+33.3 %). There was a decline in volumes of ore - to 5.3 million tonnes (-14.6%) and of non-ferrous metals - to 2.7 million tonnes (-15.7%).
The ten-month volume of liquid bulk edged up 0.5% to 278.6 million tonnes, including crude oil - 158.5 million tonnes (-8.4%), oil products - 107 million tonnes (+ 15.1%) and liquefied natural gas - 10.1 million tonnes (+12.2 %).
Overall, in the reporting period shipment of exports at the country's seaports totaled 411.9 million tonnes, which represents a 7.8% gain from Jan-Oct. 2013, while imports segment saw a 5.2% decline to 36.5 million tonnes. Transit cargoes increased by 2.3% to 39.7 million tonnes, short sea traffic volume rose 2.1% and totaled 30.4 million tonnes.
The ports of the Arctic Basin handled 29.9 million tonnes of cargo, which is a 22.8% drop on last year's figure. The volume of dry cargo increased to 21.7 million tonnes (+ 4.8%), of liquid bulk – plummeted by more than twofold to 8.2 million tonnes. Cargo throughput of the port of Murmansk shrank by 27.1% to 18.8 million tonnes, including JSC Murmansk Commercial Sea Port - 13.8 million tonnes (-4.1%). Port of Arkhangelsk's cargo volume fell by 10.5% to 3.4 million tonnes. The port Varandey demonstrated strong performance at 4.9 million tonnes (+ 9.5%).
Cargo throughput at the terminals of the Baltic Sea ports increased to 188 million tonnes (+ 4.6%), including dry cargo segment - 74.6 million tonnes or + 9.6%, liquid bulk - 113.4 million tonnes (+ 1.6%).
The port of Ust-Luga handled 62.8 million tonnes, which represents a 21.2% growth year-on-year, Big Port St.Petersburg - 51.3 million tonnes (+ 6.5%), Port of Visotsk - 14.9 million tonnes (+ 10.4%), Port of Kaliningrad - 11.6 million tonnes (+ 2.5%), Port of Vyborg - 1.4 million tonnes (+ 17.2%). Exports / imports volume at the Port of Primorsk shrank by 14.3% to 46 million tonnes.
Freight traffic at the ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin totaled 158.5 million tonnes, which is 10.2% more than a year earlier. Dry cargo segment increased by 17.6% to 59.8 million tonnes, liquid bulk cargo totaled 98.7 million tonnes (+ 6.2%). The port of Novorossiysk terminals moved 101.7 million tonnes of cargo (+ 8.6%), Tuapse port operators handled 18.4 million tonnes (+ 27.9%), of the Port of Taman - 8.5 million tonnes (+ 19.1%), Port Kavkaz - 8.4 million tonnes (+ 28.1%), Port of Azov - 5.3 million tonnes (+ 18.2%), Port of Yeysk - 3.3 million tonnes (+ 7.2%) and Temryuk port transshipped up to 1.7 million tonnes (+ 3.7%).
In the ten-month period the Caspian sea ports loaded / offloaded 6.6 million tonnes (-0.7%), including dry cargo - 2.8 million tonnes (+ 9.9%), liquid bulk - 3 7 million tonnes (-7.5%). Throughput of the port of Makhachkala decreased by 3.4%, of Olya port - by 8.1%, while the Port of Astrakhan demonstrated a 5.9% growth.
The Far East Basin ports' cargo volumes in January-October amounted to 135.5 million tonnes (+ 12.7%). Dry bulk segment rose 16.4% to 81.0 million tonnes, liquid bulk cargo – by 7.8% to 54.5 million tonnes.
Vostochny Port cargo volume jumped by 20.4% to 48.5 million tonnes, Port Vanino reported a 7.2% gain to 21.2 million tonnes, Port of Nakhodka throughput increased by 14.8% to 17.6 million tonnes, port of Prigorodnoye moved 13.3 million tonnes (+ 0.5%), handling of imports/exports at the Port of Vladivostok rose to 12.9 million tonnes (+ 6.8%), terminals of De Kastri handled 6.5 million tonnes of cargo (+ 14.9%) and Port Posiet - 5.7 million tonnes (+ 22.3%).
Association of Commercial Sea Ports (ASOP) was founded in 1987. Currently ASOP unites more than 50 Russian organizations and enterprises of maritime transport. The Association includes commercial sea ports, forwarding and agency companies, research institutes and maritime transport schools. The outcome data of the Russian port complex is based on statistical reports, covering all stevedoring companies operating in the country. Complete statistics is presented in the quarterly report of ASOP "Cargo traffic at the ports of Russia, CIS and Baltic countries."