The volume of cargo transportation in containers in Ukraine in January-May 2024 reached the highest value for the last seven years and exceeded the pre-war indicators, follows from the analytical note of “Ukrzaliznytsya” (UZ), prepared for the meeting on the topic of intermodal transportation.
“In the first five months of 2024, the volume of cargo transportation in containers increased by 60% compared to the same period of 2023 and amounted to 116.129 thousand TEU (20-foot containers). The indicator is the highest for the last seven years and exceeds the volume of transportation for the same period in 2021 by 10%,” the document says.
It is indicated that in 2021, about 16% of the volume transported in containers accounted for transit, which is now virtually absent.
The main nomenclature in containers remains grain cargoes – 39%, as well as ferrous metals – 15%; cakes – 7%; oil – 6%; synthetic resins – 4%; sugar – 3%, chemicals – 2%.
During the period, about 25% of cargo in containers was transported in the import direction, 61% – in the export direction, 14% – in the domestic direction.
Since March 2023, UZ has been offering users of transportation services a new intermodal service that combines the transportation of container trains, contrailer trains and combined transport trains.
As of June 12, 2024, UZ transported 412 intermodal trains: 72 intermodal trains in the direction of Polish and Romanian ports and 340 such trains in the direction of Ukrainian ports.
It is also reported about changes in the terms of service provision. According to them, operators of intermodal train can postpone the date of its departure in one day, and operators staying outside Ukraine will be able to use UZ fitting platforms at domestic rates.
The seaports of Ukraine in 2019 handled 1.003 million TEU containers, which is 18% more than in 2018.
The press service of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said that the transshipment of containerized cargo in Ukraine is several times higher than the world’s average figure in the container shipping market.
“Now four private container terminals are successfully operating in Ukrainian ports, which are planning to develop their capacities in 2020. Corresponding memorandums and agreements were signed between the agency and the subsidiary of the German company HHLA, Container Terminal Odesa, as well as the world’s third largest container line СMA CGM together with the Ukrainian company Brooklyn-Kyiv,” head of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority Raivis Veckagans said.
According to him, this gives reason to count on the further development of container transportation, especially due to the transit of containers and the inclusion of Ukraine in the routes of the Chinese Silk Road and the transport corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRASECA), the first cargoes on which were delivered in 2019.
According to the agency, the export and import of containers in 2019 was distributed almost evenly with a slight advantage of imports – 48.6% and 46.8% respectively. At the same time, positive export dynamics is ensured by increasing the containerization of food and light industry products (processing of agricultural raw materials, including flour, wheat, peas; textile products). The strengthening of the hryvnia traditionally influences the growth of containerized cargo imports, which makes deliveries from abroad of food, machinery and electronics, construction materials and other goods more attractive.
Container cargo transit increased by 42% compared to 2018 and amounted to 46,400 TEU.
