OREANDA-NEWS. August 11, 2009. In January-July this year, Klaipeda Port handled 15,38 million tons of marine cargo, i.e. by -15,7% or 2,86 million tons less than in corresponding  period of 2008, reported the press-centre of Klaipeda Port.
 
The largest growth rates in January-July this year were recorded in handling of agricultural products (+241,9 thousand tons, increase by +35,7 %), bulk peat (+121,5 thousand tons, increase by +2,6 times), ore minerals and construction materials (+41, 7 thousand tons, increase by +9,5%)  and packed fertilizers (+19,4 thousand tons, increase by 9,5 %), in comparison with January-July  2008.
 
In July, 2009 the port handled more than 2,27 million tons of cargo, i.e. by 3,0% less comparing to July last year.

In the midsummer of 2009, the handling figures for liquid cargo increased by more than a tenth (+13,8%), handling of dry and bulk cargo decreased by –4,0 %, and general cargo – by -19,2 %, comparing to corresponding  period of 2008.

In terms of liquid cargo handling, increase was recorded only in turnover of oil products (790,7 thousand tons handled in July, 2009,  while 647,3 thousand tons – in July 2008, change +143,5 thousand tons). Comparing to July, 2008, the highest drop in liquid cargo turnover was recorded in handling figures of liquid fertilizers (70,1 thousand tons handled in July, 2009, 107,3 thousand tons – in July, 2008, change –37,2 thousand tons).

In terms of nomenclature of bulk cargo handled in July of 2009 and 2008, the growth was recorded in agricultural products (+35,5 thousand tons, 89,5 thousand tons handled, increase by +1,7 times), ore minerals and construction materials (+17,8 thousand tons, 57,8 thousand tons handled, increase by +44,4 %) and ferroalloys  (4,8 thousand tons,  21,2 thousand tons handled, increase by +29,0 %). In July, 2009 the port also handled 9,8 thousand tons of peat, a type of cargo that was not handled at all in July, 2008. In July, 2009 the biggest drop was recorded in handling of scrap metal (-54,7 thousand tons, 6,8 thousand tons handled, change –89,0 %) and bulk fertilizers (-36,5 thousand tons, 547,9 thousand tons handled, decrease by -6,3 %) comparing to July, 2008.

In terms of general cargo nomenclature no increase in handling figures was recorded in July, 2009. The biggest drop in handling volumes was recorded in containers (in terms of tonnage) (-64,4 thousand tons, 249,3 thousand tons handled, change –20,5 %), timber (-30,3 thousand tons, 30,2 thousand tons handled, change -50,1 %), Ro-Ro cargo (in terms of tonnage)  (-22,0 thousand tons, 268,5 thousand tons handled, change –7,6 %), refrigerated cargos  (-16,5 thousand tons, 7,8 thousand tons handled, change –67,9 %) and packed fertilizers (-13,6 thousand tons, 32,6 thousand tons handled, change –29,4 %).
 
In July this year, the turnover of container units (TEU) in the port decreased by 35,7 % in comparison to July, 2008 (20 586 TEU handled in July 2009, change -11 415 TEU). However, analysing the figures of container handling for the last few months, an increase of 9,8 % was recorded in July as comparing to June, 2009. Having had rather steady monthly turnover of container units (in average 20,5 thousands TEU per month) during the first half of 2009,  the port  recorded its  growth in July. 

Handling of Ro-Ro units decreased by -14,0 % (16 941 units handled in July 2009, change -2 753 units). Nevertheless, since the beginning of 2009, a trend for steady  increase in Ro-Ro cargo handling  has been observed, which in average amounts to 6-7 % (11,7 thousand units were handled in January, 2009, while 16,9 thousand units in July, 2009).  

40,68 thousand passengers visited Klaipeda in July, 2009, i.e. by 12,0 % more than in the corresponding period of 2008.  6,7 thousands of them were cruise ship passengers, i.e. almost by 51% more than in corresponding period last year.
 
In July 2009 cargo handling figures in Butinge Terminal slightly increased: 804,0 thousand tons were handled, i.e. by 2,5 % more than in corresponding period of 2008. 
 
Although cargo turnover results for the first half of 2009 are not impressive (turnover - 13,0 million tons, -18 % change as comparing to the first half of 2008), this is a common trend determined by the global slow-down of economies, observed in majority of European ports.

Analysis of the results of foreign ports – major partners of Klaipeda port for the first half of the year shows similar tendencies.

In the first half of 2009 the ports of Bremen (Germany) handled only 29,14 million tons of cargo, i.e. by -22,1% less than in January - June 2008 (37,41 million tons). Container handling in these ports also significantly decreased (by -20,5%) , in January – June, 2009 it amounted to 2,15 million TEU, while in corresponding period of  2008 - 2,71 million TEU. 

Results of cargo handling in port of Antwerp in the first half of 2009 decreased by 19,9 % as comparing to corresponding period of 2008. 77, 06 million tons of cargo were handled in this port of Belgium in January - June 2009, while in January - June 2008 cargo turnover amounted to 96, 24 million tons. The turnover of container units (TEU) during the analyzed period decreased by -18,5 %: from 4.43 million TEU in the first half of 2008, to 3,62 million TEU in the first half of 2009.

In the first half of this year the port of Rotterdam handled 185,25 million tons of marine cargo, i.e. cargo handling figures at the port decreased by 13,4 %  (213, 97 million tons of cargo were handled in January – June, 2008). Turnover of containers making more than a quarter of the total turnover of this port decreased from 5,42 million TEU handled in the first half of 2008  to 4,61 million TEU handled in the first half of 2009 (change- 15,1 % ).

In January – June, 2009 the seaport of Copenhagen handled 2,86 million tons of cargo, i.e. decrease by -18,2 % was recorded in the first half of this year as comparing to corresponding period in 2008 (3,50 million tons).  Drop in turnover of container units was even bigger – 61 990 TEU were handled in the first half of 2009, while 79 276 TEU in 2008, change - 21,8%.