Amid the blocking of checkpoints on the western border because of strikes and exporters’ problems with logistics, PJSC “Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company” (UDP) offers alternative routes from Ukraine to the EU: the company will form container caravans for transportation on the Middle and Upper Danube.
Last year, the Port of Gdynia increased its cargo handling by 5% year-on-year to 29.4 million tonnes. Grain was the most popular cargo, with the total turnover of 6.8 million t in 2023 (up 43% year-on-year). Coal goes next with 2.8 million t transshipped in the period under review (down 17%).
A total of 27.9 million tonnes of grain and legumes were exported from Ukraine since the beginning of the current marketing year started July 1 and up to January 31, which is 17% below the result of the same period of MY 2022-2023. In particular, exports included 12.3 million t of corn (down 20%…… Read more »
The Freeport of Riga processed 1.7 million t of cargo in January 2024 (down 46,000 t compared with December 2023).
A slight upturn in shipments of Ukrainian grain reported late last week did not affect the market significantly. “The problem is that there is almost nothing on the market except Ukrainian grain and some Russian cargoes,” a Turkish broker commented to ISM.
The overall cargo turnover remained almost unchanged at the Liepaja SEZ in January 2024. Port operators handled 693,000 t of various cargoes, down 21,000 t below December 2023.
Dynamics of average mazut prices, $/tonne
Transshipment increased by 666,000 t to 4.1 million t in the port of Klaipeda in January 2024 owing to higher performance of both Klaipeda State Seaport (up 392,000 t to 3.1 million t) and the Butinge terminal (up 274,000 t to 966,000 t).
In contrast to the neighboring Handysize segment, there are no signs of recovery on the small-tonnage shipping market. “The market is dull, with lack of spot requests all across the Mediterranean and Black Seas ,” an EU broker commented.
Dynamics of average mazut prices, $/tonne