Cargo Handling at the Port of Klaipeda and Adjacent Ports in the first half of the year 2007 In the first half of 2007, the port of Klaipeda handled 13.12 million tones of cargo, which is higher by +11.8 percent in comparison to the corresponding period of 2006. In terms of cargo types, there was a growth of all cargo types (general, dry and bulk, liquid) in the first half of 2007. Figure 1. Cargo handling at the Port of Klaipeda as per cargo type Period Cargo type Total (thousand tons): Liquid cargo Dry and bulk cargo General cargo 2006 01-06 2007 01-06 11 731,4 4 590,0 3 563,3 3 578,1 13 119,5 4 746,6 3 777,9 4 595,0 2007 / 2006, % (+, -) +11,8 +3,4 +6,0 +28,4 2007 June turnover grew by 4 percent (total 2.24 million tones of cargo handled) in comparison to 2006. Growth of liquid cargoes resulted from increase in handling of liquid fertilizers (in January-June of 2006 amount handled was 0.56 million tones, while in January-June 2007 0.71 million tones were handled, change +26.4 percent). Turnover of oil products remained on the previous year level (3.9 million tones handled during the first half of this year). In comparison to the previous year, turnover of bagged fertilizers (1.9 times), bulk fertilizers (+53.1 percent), refrigerated cargoes (+42.9 percent), peat (+33.2 percent), timber products (+13.9 percent), iron and steel goods (+12.1 percent) saw an increase in volume; there was also an increase of +19 percent in turnover of ro-ro units (in terms of tonnage) and +47.4 percent in container handling (in terms of tonnage). Handling figures for raw sugar -77.4 percent, molasses -54.8 percent, agricultural products -45.3 percent, ferroalloys -37.0 percent, and minerals – 20.2 percent slumped in Klaipeda seaport. Container handling grew by +42 percent, and that of Ro-ro units by +17 percent. Increase in Ro-ro units was generated by growth of handling of trailers, highway freighters, trucks and passenger cars in the port of Klaipeda. 20.1 thousand ro-ro units were handled in June, which is the highest monthly figure for 2007. The total number of passengers visiting the port by ferry during the first six months grew by 25.5 percent and amounted to 117 thousand. Nearly 35 thousand passengers visited the port in the first summer month (the highest figure in 2007). In May-June there were 26 calls of cruise ships at the port of Klaipeda; they carried 11.6 thousand passengers (change +43 percent in relation to 2006). It is a successful result of the activities of the Port Authority, Klaipeda Tourist and Information Centre and enterprises engaged in servicing oversees passengers. Figure 2. Container handling in the ports on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, TEU Ports Saint Petersburg Klaipeda Riga Tallinn Kaliningrad Ventspils 2006 01-06 2007 01-06 2007 / 2006, % (+, -) 106 203 84 705 74 531 150 470 101 509 87 123 41,7 19,8 16,9 6 496 8 540 31,5 Adjacent ports Figure 3. Cargo turnover results in the ports on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea (thousand tons) Ports St. Petersburg Primorsk Tallinn Ventspils Klaipeda Riga Kaliningrad Liepaja 2006 01-06 2007 01-06 2007 / 2006, % (+, -) 20 716,4 14 572,0 11 731,4 12 850,9 21 715,1 16 092,0 13 119,5 12 594,0 4,8 10,4 11,8 -2,0 In January through June 2007, the port of Tallinn handled 21.71 million tons of cargo (+4.8 percent change in comparison to the same period of 2006). In terms of cargo type, dry bulk cargo handling grew by +9 percent or 508 thousand tons, general cargo +8.4 percent or 197 thousand tons, and liquid cargoes +2.3 percent or 293 thousand tons. Liquid cargoes accounted for the largest share in the total handling structure in Tallinn port, i.e., 59.9 percent. Total turnover growth resulted from increase in handling of oil products (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 12.67 million tones, in the first half year of 2007 13 million tones were handled), ro-ro units (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 1.63 million tones, in the first half year of 2007 1.79 million tones were handled), grain (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 85.4 thousand tones, in the first half year of 2007 788.5 thousand tones were handled), containers (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 652.2 thousand tones, in the first half year of 2007 704.2 thousand tones were handled), and scrap metal (in the first half year of 2006 amount handled was 317.1 thousand tones, in the first half year of 2007 358 thousand tones were handled). Decrease was recorded in the turnover of timber (91.6 thousand tones were handled in the first half year of 2007, change -42.2 percent), ferrous metals (113.5 thousand tones handled, change -18.3 percent), nonferrous metals (97 thousand tones handled, change -34.4 percent) and food (38.1 thousand tones handled, change -45 percent). In January-June of this year, 1554 freight ships called at the port of Tallinn, while this number for the corresponding period of 2006 was 1550 calls (change +0.3 percent). Cargo handling figure for the port of Ventspils in January-June of 2007 totalled 16.09 million tons, the figure for the corresponding period of 2006 was 14.57 million tons. Turnover has increased in terms of all cargo types: amount of liquid cargoes handled increased by +10 percent, respectively 10.11 million tons, dry bulk cargo by +13.9 percent, respectively 4.70 million tons, general cargo turnover increased by +2.2 percent reaching respectively amount of 1.27 million tons. In terms of cargo nomenclature, handling of raw oil (+761 thousand tons) and grain (+172 thousand tons) increased in the port of Ventspils. Mere 453 thousand tons of raw oil was handled in the port of Ventspils in the first half of 2006. Turnover of the principal transit cargoes namely, oil products and bulk fertilisers, was as follows: amount of oil products handled in 2007 was 8.39 million tons (+3.1 percent), and that of bulk fertilizers 1.88 million tons (+37.2 percent). Throughout January to June of this year the port of Ventspils handled 80 thousand tons of containerised cargoes (68 thousand tons last year); number of passengers carried was 21.4 thousand (+18.3 percent increase in relation to 2006). Throughout January to June of 2007 the port of Riga handled 12.59 million tons of cargo, which is less by -2 percent in relation to the same period of the previous year. Decrease was recorded for dry bulk cargo turnover. Handling of dry bulk cargo accounted for the larger share of the total turnover amounting to more than 7.3 million tons, this amount decreased by -9.4 percent or 754 thousand tons in comparison with January-June of the previous year. Amount of bulk fertilizers handled was +210 thousand tons or +29.1 percent more than the previous year. Coal handling decreased by -15.1 percent down to 4.92 million tons and accounted for 39.1 percent of total handling turnover. Amount of general cargo handled in the port of Riga was 2.79 million tons (+12.1 percent in comparison to January-June of the previous year). In terms of general cargo nomenclature, timber accounted for 1503 thousand tons (-0.2 percent), and containerised cargoes 923 thousand tons (+17.7 percent). Turnover of liquid cargo in the first half of 2007 increased by +8.5 percent in comparison to the same period of the previous year and amounted to 2.51 million tons. During the first six months of this year 160 thousand passengers visited the port of Riga, while in January-June of 2006 this figure was mere 79.96 thousand (twofold increase). E.Kateiva Klaipeda State Seaport Authority Marketing Department