OREANDA-NEWS. April 10, 2012.  In January-March 2012, cargo throughput at Russian seaports grew 5.3 percent year-on-year to 127.3 million tons, the Association of Sea Ports said.

The three-month volume of dry bulk cargo was 54.7 million tons, a16.9-percent gain from a year ago. The increase was driven mainly by a 39.8% increase in ferry loads volume, a 35.3-percent surge (1.3 mln mt) in nonferrous metal traffic, a 16.5-percent gain in containerized imports / exports. Coal exports rose 13.7% year-over-year to 18.7 mln tons, grain shipments totaled 4.7 mln mt, handling of ore was up 5.2% to 1.9 mln tons, of ferrous metals – by 14.1% to 6.8 mln mt. Export of scrap metals increase by 11.8% to 700,000 tons. Timber cargo volume was up 1.9% to 1.4 mln mt.

Shipment of mineral fertilizer fell 20.7% to 2.2 million tons. The three-month volume of liquid bulk cargo handled at the nation’s ports totaled 72.6 million tons (-1.9%), including crude exports, which oil dropped 7.6% to 45.4 million tons, and oil products fell 8.3% to 26.6 million tons.

In the reporting period the Russian ports saw a 10.9-percent growth in exports (versus 10.7% in Jan-Feb), to 101 million tons. Imports dropped by 10.5% year-over-year to 9.4 million tons (due to an overall decline in the segment of general cargoes). A decrease in crude oil transshipments pushed the three-month transit cargo volume down to 11.1 million tons (-10.7%). Handling of shore sea traffic fell 15.5% to 5.8 million tons.