Review of Black Sea container market

In the first half of 2017, Black Sea container terminals of Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Georgia and Bulgaria handled 1,317,490 TEUs including empty containers and excluding transshipment. 

The review contributed to IAA PortNews by Informall BG covers only loaded containers – 992,409 TEUs which is up 12.94% as compared with the first half of 2016.

Container throughput of Black Sea region in the first half of 2017 - first half of 2016, TEU loaded

The growth of container throughput was shown by all countries of the Black Sea region with the highest growth registered in Russia, Georgia and Ukraine – 22.65%, 17.52% and 8.64% accordingly.

Handling of loaded containers per country, TEU

Imports account for 54.00% of containers handled in the region in the first half of 2017, exports – 46.00%. Loaded/empty containers ratio in the region is 75.33% / 24.67%.

Imports account for 54.00% of containers handled in the Black Sea region

As compared with HI’16, exports of loaded containers in the Black Sea region climbed by 6.47%. Georgia showed the steepest growth - 24.93%. The growth was demonstrated by all countries: in Russia and Romania it was 14.52% and 9.88% accordingly. As for imports into the region, it grew by 19.10 mostly due to increased imports to Russia (+28.37%). Ukraine, Georgia and Bulgaria showed the following growth of imports – 24.13%, 16.03% and 13.24% accordingly. 

Russia showed record high growth of imports – 28.37%

Handling of loaded containers in the reported period per country is as follows: Russia – 28.83%, Ukraine – 27.61%, Romania – 23.95%, Georgia – 10.83%, Bulgaria – 8.78%.

Shares of Black Sea countries in total volume of loaded containers

In the first half of 2017, the list of top five container terminals changed a little with DPW (Constanta) having retained its leading position, HPC Ukraine (Odessa) remaining at the 3rd position, APMT Poti (Georgia) having retained its 4^th position, Novoroslesexport (Russia) falling from the 2rd to the 5th position and NUTEP (Russia) raising from the 5th to the 2^nd position. Three of the top five terminals of the region demonstrated the growth of container throughput. Container throughput of Novoroslesexport and DPW dropped by 5.53% and 2.85% accordingly.

Shares of Black Sea terminals in the first half of 2017  

As for operators of Black Sea lines, the list of leaders has remained almost unchanged. It includes Maersk Line, MSC, ARKAS, CMA CGM and COSCOCS with ARKAS having pushed CMA CGM down from the 3^rd to the 4^th position and Maersk Line having retained its leadership.  

As a result of a merger between CSCL and COSCO, the united carrier became fifth largest at the Black Sea. The above lines control 74.08% of the Black Sea container market.

MAERSK, MSC, ARKAS, CMA CGM and COSCOCS control 74.08% of the market

Shares of Black Sea lines in the first half of 2017 

In H1’16 the total market share of Maersk and MSC was 45.19%, but in HI’17 it increased by 0,23 p.p. to 45,42%. The total share of CSCL and COSCO was 7.16% in HI’16 while in HI17 it increased by 1.24 p.p. to 8.40%. It is also worth to note that in HI’17 against HI’16 CMA CGM lost 1.65 p.p. of market share, while ARKAS increased its share by 0.62 p.p. and it allowed ARKAS to become the third largest carrier in the Black Sea region. PIL has temporarily suspended its activity there.

Rating of Black Sea container lines in HI’17 – HI’16

The rating covers loaded containers excluding transshipment.

Record-high growth of the market share (% of the market share) in the Black Sea region was shown by EMC – 2.10 p.p., COSCOCS – 1.24 p.p. and ARKAS – 0.62 p.p. The steepest fall was demonstrated by CMA CGM -1.64 p.p., OOCL -0.61 p.p. and YML – 0.57 p.p. PIL has suspended its activity in the Black Sea, APL merged with CMA CGM.

Review contributed by Informall BG