Container traffic to and from Ukranian ports appears to have rebounded according to the latest data released by local shipping intelligence firm, Informall BG.
Black Sea container terminals in Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine handled container volumes of 979 000 TEU, including empty containers and transshipment cargo, in the first nine months of 2024.
This represented an increase of 14% compared with the same period in 2023, according to an analysis by Informall BG, which reported in Maritime Executive this week that the jump reflected a rebound in containerised traffic to and from Ukrainian ports.
According to Informall BG, 53% of full containers handled were imports, while laden containers comprised 77% of volumes moved.
Import volumes increased by 19% overall and the highest import volume increase was shown by Ukraine at 116%, a record growth rate, reflecting the rebound in trade off a low base.
Volumes rose 23% in Romania, and Bulgaria recorded a decline of around 3%.
Exports from the three countries rose almost 10%, mainly due to Ukrainian and Bulgarian export volume growth of 64% and 14% respectively. Romania recorded a slight in laden export volume.
Informall BG CEO, Vassiliy Vesselovski, said it was worth noting that significant volume growth in Ukraine had been driven by the restoration of direct container feeder connections.
“In the beginning of 2024, a local forwarding company deployed a few vessels transshipping containers from Constanta to Chornomorsk port. Later on, MSC and Maersk deployed their own vessels from Tekirdag and Port Said respectively,” Vesselovski said.
Maersk, MSC and CMA CGM have been the leading carriers in the Black Sea region historically, with a combined 60% total share of the market in recent years.
Container turnover in Novorossiysk in southern Russia rose 7% to 570 000 TEU. MSC and Turkish carriers in the Black Sea transported around 40% of this cargo, while local carriers moved the balance.
Georgia's total volume hit 518 000 TEU which was lower than expectations.
“The forecast of container turnover growth in the Black Sea region for 2024-2025 shows that growth will amount to 5-7% percent and will exceed three million TEU in 2025,” said Vesselovski.
He said the growth would be fuelled by the further recovery in container volumes moving to and from Ukraine.
