Cargo traffic volume handled at Russian ports in the last 7 months of 2011 fell 0.2 percent from last year’s figures, to 304.7 million tons , the Association of Commercial Sea Ports said.
Handling of dry cargo increased by 4.5% to 127.8 million tons, including coal - 45.6 million tons (+17.2%), containerized cargo - 22.7 million tons (+24.0%), ore - 4.8 million tons (up 1.7 times), packaged general cargo - 3.5 million tons (an increase of 2.1 times), refrigerated cargoes - 2.8 million tons (+22.7%), sugar - 2 million tons (+22.5%), scrap metal - 2 million tons (+44.6%). The volume of ferrous metals declined by 13.4% - to 14.7 million tons, of timber cargo - by 12.1% to 3.6 million tons, of ferries cargo - by 13.7% to 3.8 million tons.
Shipments of exported grain in January-July fell by 8.6 million tons, to 3 million tons due to grain exports ban imposed by the Russian Govt in the first half of the year. In July, after the lifting of the ban grain exports surged by nearly 30 percent, the report said.
The volume of liquid bulk cargo in Jan-Jul, fell 3.3% to 176.8 million tons, including crude oil –114.6 million tons (-6.8%), petroleum products - 61.4 million tons (+4 %).
Seven-month volume of exports dropped 2.6% to 231.2 million tons. Imports demonstrated a 31.4-percent growth to 27.2 million tons, handling of transit cargo increased by 12.8% to 29.5 million tons. Short sea traffic volume fell by 20.1% to 16.7 million tons.
In the reporting period, the stevedore companies of the Arctic Basin transshipped 25.3 million tons of different cargoes, down16.8% from a year earlier. The volume of dry cargo rose 11.1% to 12.6 million tons, while handling of liquid bulk decreased by 33.4% to 12.7 million tons, mainly in the ports of Murmansk (-39.3%) and Varandey (down by 1.7 times).
The operators of the Baltic Sea basin ports handled 106.4 million tons of cargo, a 5.4-percent gain. In January-July, the volume of dry cargo rose by 13.8% to 40.7 million tons, liquid bulk cargo - to 65.7 million tons (+0.8%). Stevedore companies of the Big Port of St. Petersburg handled 34.1 million tons (+8.2%). Throughput of Ust-Luga port soared by 70 percent to 11.1 million tons. At the same time reduced the volume of cargo handling at the port of Vysotsk dropped by 4.4%, in Kaliningrad – by 3.7%, in Primorsk – by 2.1%.
Cargo traffic at the ports of the Black Sea basin fell 5.69 percent to 94.6 million tons .The volume of dry cargo declined 12.7% to 30.8 million tons, liquid bulk - by 2.2% to 63.8 million tons. The port of Novorossiysk throughput was down 6.7% to 66.1 million tons, cargo volume at the Caucasus dropped 28.5% to 4.2 million tons, at Rostov-on-Don – by 6.3% to 4.3 million tons, throughput of Azov port slumped by 33.2% to 1.9 million tons, of Eisk port - by19.6% to 1.7 million tons. Operators of terminals at the port of Taganrog reported a 12.6 percent growth - to 1.8 million tons, of Temryuk port – a 33.9-percent gain to 1.4 million tons. Freight traffic at Tuapse port slightly increased (+0.6%).
The Caspian basin ports handled in the reporting period 5.8 million tons of different cargo (-4.1%), including bulk cargo - 3 million tons (-13%), liquid bulk - 2.7 million tons (+8.3%). The port of Makhachkala cargo volume rose 8% to 3.1 million tons, the port of Astrakhan handled 2.3m tons - a 12.3% decline year-on-year.
Freight flows passing through the ports of the Pacific basin totaled 72.5 million tons (+7.9 %), of which dry cargo - 40.7 million tons (+11.7%), liquid bulk cargo - 31.8 million tons (+3.4%). Throughput of Vostochny port (including Kozmino terminal) rose 10.7% to 22.5 million tons, of Por of Vanino - by 13.1% to 11.5 million tons, of De Castri - by 18.6% to 4.9 million tons. Port of Vladivostok reported a 7.2-percent volume increase to 6.7 million tons and Port of Posiet – a 19.5-percent growth, to 2.9 million tons, while handling of cargo at the port of Nakhodka was down 6.9%, to 8.8 million tons.
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.