Russian seaports cargo volumes up 4.7 percent in Jan-Jul, 2012
Cargo traffic at Russian seaports in January-July, 2012 totaled 318.9 million tons, a 4.7-percent gain from the same period last year, the Association of Seaports report said.
The seven-month volume of dry bulk cargo reached 143.4 million tons, up 12.1% year-on-year. The increase was driven mainly by a 9.2% growth (49.8 mln tons) in coal exports, a 8.6-percent gain (24.7 mln mt) in containerized cargoes, a 8.4-percent increase (16.0 mln mt) in ferrous metals volume, mt). Gain shipments totaled 12.8 million tons, handling of non-ferrous metals rose 8.7% to 2.5 million tons. Shipments of timber cargo increased by 2.1% to 3.7 million tons, handling of scrap metal rose 5.9 million tons. Mineral fertilizer volume dropped 15.8% y-o-y to 5.9m tons, iron ore exports fell 8.2% to 4.5m tons. Handling of other bulk cargo declined by 5.9% to 2.6m tons, of unitized cargo – by 16.5% to 3.0m tons, of refrigerated cargoes – slumped by 24.7% to 2.0m tons.
Shipments of liquid bulk through the nation’s ports totaled 175.5 million tons, which represents a 0.8% decline, including 111.3 million tons of crude exports (-2.9%) and 62.6 million tons of oil products (+1.9%).
In the reporting period the Russian ports saw a year-over-year 9.0-percent growth in exports, to 252.1 million tons. Imports dropped 6.6% from last year’s numbers, to 25.4 million tons, primarily due to fewer volumes of general cargo and sugar. Handling of transit cargo was down to 25.8 million tons (-10.9%), short sea traffic volume fell 10.2% to 15.76 million tons (crude exports decline). There was a 18.3% growth in dry bulk cargo carried by coastal vessels, to 9.9 million tons.
In the first half of 2012, stevedore companies of the Arctic basin handled 20.1 million tons of cargoes, which represent a 20.6% decline from the same period a year ago. Shipments of dry bulk cargo grew 8.8% to 13.7 million tons, while liquid bulk volume plummeted by nearly twofold to 6.4 million tons (due to fewer volumes exported via Belokamenka FSO). Freight flows passing through the port of Arkhangelsk surged by 30% to 2.9 mln tons, Dudinka port cargo volume increased by 6% to 700,000 tons. Cargo throughput at the port of Murmansk was down 23.5% to 12.5 mln tons, handling of loads at Vitino port decreased by 14.7% to 2.2 mln tons, exports volume passing through Varandey terminal plummeted by 2.3 times, to 1.2m tons, Kandalaksha port handled 400,000 tons (-18.6%).
In January-July, the Baltic Sea-based Russian ports handled 116.1 million tons of different cargoes, up 9.1% from the 2011’s figure, including 43.4 million tons of dry bulk cargo (+6.9%), 72.4 million tons of liquid bulk (+10.5%). Cargo throughput at Primorsk terminal was up 0.8% to 44.3 million tons. Port of Ust-Luga traffic soared 2.1 times to 23.5 million tons, thanks to inauguration of new oil terminals and coal exports growth. Port of Vyborg handled 700,000 tons (+31.0%). Freight flows passing through Big Port St. Petersburg fell 3.3% to 33.0 million tons, cargo shipments through the port of Kaliningrad dropped 13.1% to 7.2 million tons, Port of Vysotsk handled 7.3 million tons (-11.8%).
Handling of exports / imports at the ports of Azov-Black Sea basin in the reporting period totaled 99.6 million tons (+5.2%). Dry bulk cargo volume leaped by 24.8% to 38.5 million tons, while liquid bulk traffic was down by 4.1% to 61.1 million tons. Cargo throughput at the Port of Novorossiysk rose 4.1% to 68.8 million tons. The port of Taman handled 900,000 tons of cargo. Cargo volumes handled at the port of Rostov-on-Don soared 36.9% to 5.8 million tons. Shipments of cargo through the port of Kavkaz increased by 7.3% to 4.4 million tons. Port of Azov seven-month throughput jumped by 35.6% to 2.5 million tons. Port of Yeysk transshipped 1.9 million tons of different cargo (+7.1%), Taganrog port - 1.9 mln tons (+6.9%). At the same time cargo traffic at the port of Tuapse was down 6.5% to 10.6 tons, at the port of Temryuk – 1.2 million tons (-16.5%).
Trade flows passing through the Caspian Sea-based Russian ports totaled 6.2 million tons (+7.3%), including dry bulk cargo - 2.9 million tons (-4.6%), liquid bulk – 3.3 million tons (+20.6%). Freight traffic at the port of Astrakhan fell 15.8% to 2.0 million tons. Cargo turnover of the port of Makhachkala was up 21.5% to 3.7 million tons. The port of Olya seven-month cargo volume plummeted by 37.9% year-on-year to 500,000 tons.
In January-July, the ports of the Far Eastern basin saw a 5.9-percent gain in cargo volumes to 76.9 million tons. Shipments of dry bulk cargo rose 10.1% to 44.9 million tons. The seven-month volume of liquid bulk was flat on last year’s figure, at 32.0 million tons. Cargo throughput at Vostochny port rose 6.0% to 23.9 million tons, at the port of Prigorodnoye – by 2.7% to 9.7 million tons. Stevedore companies of the Port of Nakhodka handled 9.9 mln tons (+12.9%), at the Port of Vladivostok – 7.8 mln tons (+15.5%), at the port of Posiet – 3.4 mln tons, (+17.1%). Vanino Port traffic rose 2.6% to 11.8 million tons. The port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky transshipped 1.3 mln tons of different cargoes (+11.3%), the port of Kholmsk – 1.1 mln tons (+7.5%). Cargo throughput at the port of De Kastri dropped by 12.1% to 4.3 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. Complete statistics is presented in the quarterly report of ASOP "Cargo traffic at the ports of Russia, CIS and Baltic countries."
