Eleven-month cargo traffic at Russia's seaports rises 6% to 571.4 million tonnes

Handling of exports/imports and transit cargo at sea ports of Russia in January-November 2014 increased by 6% year-on-year to 571.4 million tonnes, the Association of Commercial Seaports of Russia said Wednesda.

Shipments of dry cargo in the reporting period reached 265.7 million tonnes (+ 13.7%), including: coal - 107.5 million tonnes (+16%), containerized cargo - 43.1 million tonnes (+5.6%), grain - 28.4 million tonnes (a 1.7 times gain), ferrous metals - 21.4 million tonnes (+6.5%), mineral fertilizers – 13,6 million tonnes (+15%), ferry cargo - 7.7 million tonnes (+30.2%), timber cargo - 4.4 million tonnes (+8.3%) and metal scrap - 4.2 million tonnes (+ 31.4%). Handling of ore reduced to 5.8 million tonnes (-15%) and non-ferrous metals - to 3 million tonnes (-14.1%).

The volume of liquid bulk cargo edged up 0.2% compared to the same period in 2013 to 305.7 million tonnes. Handling of crude oil dropped 8.7% to 173.8 million tonnes, oil products totaled 117.4 million tonnes (+14.9%) and export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) increased by 11.9% to 11.1 million tonnes.

Handling of exports in the country's seaport totaled 453.3 million tonnes, up 7.7% from the same period last year, while imports volume fell 4.9% to 40.3 million tonnes. Transit cargo volume rose 2.1% to 43.7 million tonnes, coastal freight - 34.1 million tonnes (+ 4.3%).

The ports of the Arctic Basin handled 32.5 million tonnes of cargo, which represents a 22.6% drop year-on-year. Dry bulk volume increased to 23.5 million tonnes (+4.2%) while liquid bulk segment showed a 2.2 times slump to just 9 million tonnes. Cargo throughput at the port of Murmansk shrank to 20.4 million tonnes (-27.7%), taking into account 15 million tonnes (-3.7%) handled at the terminals of JSC Murmansk Commercial Seaport. Arkhangelsk port reported a 6.7% decline to 3.8 million tonnes. At the same time, the port of Varandey reported a 10% gain in the eleven-month period to 5.4 million tonnes.

The ports of the Baltic basin reported a 4.1% growth for the reporting period to 206.7 million tonnes, of which dry cargo amounted to 82.5 million tonnes (+ 9.6%), liquid bulk - 124.2 million tonnes (+0.8%). Cargo traffic at the port of Ust-Luga jumped 20.8% reaching to 69.5 million tonnes, the Big Port of St. Petersburg handled 56.4 million tonnes (+5.9%), Port of Vysotsk - up to 16.2 million tonnes (+9.2%), Kaliningrad port's cargo throughput totaled to 12.7 million tonnes (+1.5%), Port of Vyborg transshipped 1.5 million tonnes (+12.6%). Shipments of cargo through Primorsk port turnover decreased to 50.3 million tonnes (-14.7%).

Freight volumes at sea ports of the Azov-Black Sea basin rose 10% year-on-year to 175.3 million tonnes. Dry cargo segment showed a 17.2% growth to 66.8 million tonnes, liquid bulk volume rose 6% to 108.5 million tonnes. Cargo throughput at the port of Novorossiysk increased to 112.2 million tonnes (+ 9.2%), at the Port of Tuapse - to 20.5 million tonnes (+27.8%), at the Port of Taman to 9.3 million tonnes (+11.1%). Handling of freight at the Port Kavkaz increased by 29.5% to 9.4 million tonnes, at the Port of Azov - to 5.8 million tonnes (+16%). Port of Yeysk throughput reached 3.7 million tonnes (+5.5%). Port of Temryuk cargo volumes edged up to 1.8 million tonnes (+ 0.5%). Port of Rostov-on-Don reported a 3.7% decline in cargo volumes to 9.6 million tonnes. Port of Taganrog handled 2.6 million tonnes (-1.2%).
The Caspian Sea based ports handled 7.2 million tonnes of cargo (-0.2%), including 3.1 million tonnes of dry cargo (+11%) and 4.1 million tonnes of liquid bulk cargo (-7.3%). Cargo throughput at the port of Makhachkala declined by 3.3%, of Olya Port – by 14.9%, while cargo traffic at the port of Astrakhan rose 8.5%.

In the reporting period trade flows passing through ports of the Far East Basin increased by 13.5% to to 149.7 million tonnes, including 89.7 million tonnes of dry bulk cargo (+ 17.9%) and 60 million tonnes of liquid bulk (+7.4%). Vostochny port's volumes increased to 53.3 million tonnes (+ 20.8%), Port Vanino - to 24 million tonnes (+ 11%), Port of Nakhodka - to 19.3 million tonnes (+ 15.9%). Port Prigorodnoye reported a slight gain to 14 , 6 million tonnes (+0.3%), Port of Vladivostok handled 14.2 million tonnes (+ 6.5%), Port De Kastri - to 7.3 million tonnes (+15.1%) and the Port Posiet's cargo throughput leaped by 20.6% to 6 , 2 million tonnes.