In January-August 2024, Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) increased its cargo transportation by 24.3% compared to the same period last year, to 118.04 million tons, according to an analytical note prepared for a meeting of the Exporters’ Office on Wednesday.
The volume of cargo transportation in August 2024 increased by 15.5% compared to the same period in 2023 (1.9 million tons), amounting to 14.18 million tons, which is 4.2% more than in July 2024.
“Massive missile attacks have significantly affected the state of the energy sector, certain industries, and transport infrastructure, which affects the dynamics of cargo transportation,” the analytical note says.
The volume of export transportation in January-August increased by 65.8% to 57.74 million tons. According to the results of eight months of 2024, the share of cargo exports in the total volume of transportation amounted to 49% compared to 37% in the same period of 2023.
In August 2024, the volume of cargo transportation for export amounted to 6.58 million tons, which is 2.8% more than in July 2024. At the same time, compared to August 2023, when 3.3 million tons were exported, the volume of cargo transportation for export doubled.
The volume of exports through land crossings in January-August decreased by 6.9% year-on-year to 21.31 million tons. As of August 2024, the volume of cargo exports via land crossings amounted to 2.5 million tons, which is 2.4% less compared to July 2024.
In January-August, the volume of cargo exports via ports increased 3.1 times to 36.42 million tons. As of August 2024, the volume of cargo exports to ports amounted to 3.9 million tons, which is 6.5% more than in July 2024.
In January-August, 92.3% of all rail transportation to ports was accounted for by the ports of Greater Odesa, and 7.7% by the Danube ports.
Grain remains the leader in exported cargo, with a volume of 2.63 million tons in August, accounting for 40.1% of the total. Iron and manganese ore came in second place at 2.32 million tons (35.3%), followed by ferrous metals at 0.57 million tons (8.6%). Construction materials accounted for 0.48 million tons (7.2%), ranking fourth in total cargo exports in August, the company said.
“The metallurgical and agricultural sectors retain the status of the basis of Ukrainian exports in the current environment. Sea routes remain the main channel for supplying Ukrainian goods to foreign markets,” the note says.
Earlier, Yevhen Lyashchenko, Chairman of the Board of Ukrzaliznytsia JSC, said that the company suffered losses of UAH 600-700 million in July-August and expects a small loss by the end of 2024, despite profitable operations in the first half of the year. According to him, this was due to the lack of profitable cargoes that provide a safety margin.
During the first year of operation of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, 64.4 million tons of cargo were transported, including 43.5 million tons of grain.
At the same time, 2,379 vessels used the “sea corridor” during this period, exporting products to 46 countries, the press service of the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure (Ministry of Reconstruction) reported on Friday.
“A strategic necessity for our country, which, despite all the risks, has shown its own alternative shipping route, is another step towards victory over Russia. Summarizing the results of the first year of operation of the temporary sea route, we thank those who made it possible – the Security and Defense Forces and civilian fleet workers,” the Ministry’s press service said on Facebook.
On August 16, 2023, the first vessel to use the sea route, commonly known as the “Ukrainian Corridor,” was the German container ship JOSEPH SHULTE, which had been blocked in the port of Odesa since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ministry’s press service reminded.
According to the infographics of the Sea Ports Authority, in the second month of the corridor’s operation in September 2023, only 245 thousand tons of cargo were exported, including 34 thousand tons of grain, but in October the cargo turnover reached 1.4 million tons (582 thousand tons of grain cargo), in November – 2.9 million tons (1.14 million tons), in December – 4.9 million tons (1.89 million tons). In January 2024, cargo turnover reached 4.44 million tons (1.87 million tons of grain), in February – 5.2 million tons (2.65 million tons), in March – 5.14 million tons (2.57 million tons), in April – 5, 1 million tons (2.59 million tons), in May – 5.04 million tons (2.24 million tons), in June – 3.67 million tons (1.89 million tons), in July – 3.45 million tons (2 million tons), for two weeks of August – 1.73 million tons (938 thousand tons). t). t).
“The best greeting to the anniversary will be further development and support of the maritime infrastructure. This year, container traffic to the ports of Odesa and Chornomorsk has been restored. Further plans are to restore ferry service to seaports and involve seaports in the Mykolaiv region as soon as the security situation allows,” the Ministry of Reconstruction said in a statement.
Earlier, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, Captain Dmytro Pletenchuk, told Freedom TV channel that 2300 vessels used the grain sea corridor over the year and transported more than 60 million tons of cargo.
According to him, the “grain corridor” is actively used by European countries, with Spain and the countries of the global South leading the way.
The Ukrainian Sea Corridor has transported 60 million tons of cargo in 11 months of operation, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported on Facebook.
“60 million tons – the cargo turnover of the ports of Greater Odesa for 11 months of the Ukrainian Corridor,” the USPA said in a statement on Friday.
It is noted that 40.6 million tons of this volume are grain cargoes. They were exported to 46 countries.
“The bulk carrier Manta Hacer with 25.2 thousand tons of Ukrainian humanitarian wheat is moving through the Ukrainian corridor to Yemen. This is another vessel chartered by the UN World Food Program,” the USPA said.
The Administration emphasized that despite the war and the enemy’s insidious shelling of port infrastructure, including hangars for storing agricultural products, Ukraine remains a key player in the issue of global food security. This is especially true for grain exports to Asia and Africa.
Earlier it was reported that during the 10 months of operation of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, cargo exports reached a record high of 55 million tons. In mid-July, it reached 57.55 million tons.
In the marketing year 2023-2024 (MY, June-July), Ukrzaliznytsia JSC (UZ) transported 35.122 million tons of grain cargo, the best figure in the last four years, said Valery Tkachev, Deputy Director of Transportation Technology and Commercial Work Department of UZ, at a meeting with agricultural market participants on Thursday.
According to him, in June, 3.48 million tons of grain were transported by rail in all directions, a third more than in the same month of 2023.
In the first six months of this year, UZ transported 21.85 million tons of grain, which is 30% more than in the same period last year.
At the same time, 2.558 million tons of grain were transported in export traffic in June, and 18.731 million tons in six months, which is 43% more than a year earlier.
Export volumes of oil and oilcake and meals also increased. Thus, in January-June 2014, 954 thousand tons of vegetable oil were transported by rail, which is 30% more than last year. During the same period, the transportation of oilcake and meal increased by 19% to 1.41 million tons, Tkachev summarized.
In January-June 2024, six Ukrainian ports increased cargo transshipment by 1.6 times compared to the same period in 2023 – up to 52.7 million tons, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported, citing operational data.
“According to the operational data of USPA, in January-June 2024, the ports of Ukraine handled almost 52.7 million tons, compared to 31.3 million tons in 2023. Six months, six ports – 52.7 million tons,” the USPA said on Facebook on Monday.
As noted, more than half of the cargo (33.5 million tons) is agricultural products.
In June, seaports handled 6.7 million tons of cargo, which is 30% more than in June 2023. Of these, 4.1 million tons of agricultural products were exported.
According to the National Bank of Ukraine, in January-April 2024, seaports handled 35 million tons of cargo. In particular, in January – 6.3 million tons (4.4 million tons of which were agricultural products), February – 7.9 million tons (5.2 million tons), March – 6.4 million tons (4.2 million tons), April – 7.7 million tons (5.1 million tons), May – 6.7 million tons (4.5 million tons).
Since August 2023, the sea corridor created by the Ukrainian Navy has exported 55 million tons of cargo, of which more than half (37.4 million tons) were agricultural products, the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure (MinRestore) reports.
“During the 10 months of operation of the Ukrainian Sea Corridor, a record amount of cargo was transported – 55 million tons of cargo – the cargo turnover of the ports of Greater Odesa,” the report says.
The Black Sea ports handled 1,954 thousand vessels.
Approaching the ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk and Pivdennyi are 68 vessels, exporting almost 2 million tons of cargo, the Ministry of Reconstruction said.
In early June of this year, it was reported that the sea corridor had exported 50 million tons of cargo since its launch, with 1737 vessels handled in the ports.
