Russian seaports throughput rises 5.2 percent
Cargo traffic at Russian seaports in January-May, 2012 totaled 224.6 million tons, a 5.2-percent gain from the same period of last year, the Association of Seaports report said.
The five-month volume of dry bulk cargo was 99.9 million tons, up 15.9% form last year’s figure. The increase was driven mainly by a 35.0% leap (3.5 mln tons) in ferry loads volume, a 13.7-percent jumpe (1.4 mln mt) in scrap metal traffic, a 13.3-percent growth (12.0 mln mt) in ferrous metals volume, a 11.9% increase in coal exports (34.7 mln mt), a 9.0% gain in containerized cargo (17.4 mln mt) and a 8.8-percent growth in non-ferrous metals (1.8 mln mt). Grain exports totaled 9.0 million tons.
The volume of liquid bulk cargo handled at the nation’s ports totaled 124.8 million tons, which represents a 2.0% decline, including 79.4 million tons of crude exports (-4.8%). Oil products shipments rose 1.7% to 44.2 million tons.
In the reporting period the Russian ports saw a 10.3-percent growth in exports, to 178.5 million tons. Imports dropped 7.0% year-over-year to 17.9 million tons. The five-month volume of transit cargo was down to 18.1 million tons (-13.0%), short sea traffic fell 12.2% to 10.1 million tons.
In January-April, stevedore companies of the Arctic basin handled 14.0 million tons of cargoes, a 23.5% decline from the same period a year ago. Shipments of dry bulk cargo grew 9.4% to 9.5 million tons, the liquid bulk volume shrank by more than twofold to 4.4 million tons. Freight traffic passing through the port of Arkhangelsk surged by 43.7%, Dudinka port cargo volume increased by 17.6%.
The Baltic Sea-based Russian ports handled 81.7 million tons of different cargoes, up 10.6% from the 2011’s figure, including 30.4 million tons of dry bulk cargo (+9.1%), 51.3 million tons of liquid bulk (+11.5%). Cargo throughput at Primorsk terminal rose 3.8% to 32.8 million tons. Port of Ust-Luga traffic soared 2.2 times to 15.4 million tons, thanks to commissioning of a new oil terminal and coal exports growth. Port of Vyborg handled 500,000 tons (+22.2%). Cargo traffic at Big Port St. Petersburg fell 1.5% to 22.5 million tons, cargo shipments through the port of Kaliningrad dropped 13.1% to 5.4 million tons, Port of Vysotsk handled 5.2 million tons, which represents a 12.6% decline.
Handling of exports / imports at the ports of Azov-Black Sea basin in the reporting period totaled 69.7 million tons (+5.6%). Dry bulk cargo volume leaped 34.0% to 26.3 million tons, while liquid bulk traffic was down 6.4% to 43.5 million tons.
Cargo throughput at the Port of Novorossiysk rose 5.2% to 49.4 million tons. The port of Taman transshipped 700,000 tons. Shipments of freight through the port of Rostov-on-Don soared 40.4% to 3.6 million tons. Cargo volume handled at the port of Kavkaz increased by 2.2% to 2.6 million tons. Port of Azov five-month throughput jumped by 42.3% to 1.4 million tons. Ports of Yeysk transshipped 1.2 million tons (+15.4%). In the reporting period cargo shipments through Taganrog port fell 7.4% to 1.1 mln tons, cargo handling at the port of Tuapse declined 3.0% to 8.0 tons, the port of Taganrog – by 7.4% to 1.1 mln tons, the port of Temryuk – by 13.9% to 800,000 tons.
Cargo handling at the Caspian Sea-based Russian ports totaled 4.3 million tons (+2.2%), including dry bulk cargo - 2.1 million tons (-9.4%), liquid bulk – 2.2 million tons (+16.6%). Freight traffic at the port of Astrakhan fell 13.7% to 1.4 million tons. Cargo turnover of the port of Makhachkala was up 13.6% to 2.5 million tons, Port of Olya – by 5.4% to 300,000 tons.
In January-May, the ports of the Far Eastern basin transshipped 54.9 million tons (+7.5%). Shipments of dry bulk cargo rose 14.2% to 500,000 tons. The volume of liquid bulk was slightly down - 0.5% on last year’s figure (23.3 million tons). Cargo throughput at Vostochny port rose 7.5% to 17.0 million tons, at the Port of Prigorodnoye – by 0.6% to 7.4 million tons, Nakhodka port - by 11.8% to 7.0 million tons, Port of Vladivostok – by 18.4 % to 5.5 million tons. Cargo shipments through the port of Posiet soared 38.3% to 2.5 million tons, the port Vanino freight traffic increased by 8.3% to 8.6 million tons. The five-month volume of cargo handled at the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky was up 9.8% to 900,000 tons, at the port of Kholmsk – by 20.4% to 800,000 tons. The ports of Korsakov and Magadan handled 500,000 tons (+15.0% and 21.2%, respectively). Cargo throughput at the port of De Kastri dropped by 15.1% to 3.1 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.