Page 64 - UKRRptSept19

● Ships
During the first half of this year, Ukraine’s ports handled 13.2% more cargo than during the same period last year. Of the 72mn tons, exports grew by 20%, to 55mn tons. Imports were flat at nearly 11mn tons. Transshipment dropped by 15% to just under 5mn tons. Highlights were: grain up 35%, to 24.5mn tons; ore up 27%, to 16.5mn tons; vegetable oil up 12.4%, to 3.2mn tons; and containers up 18.4%, to almost half amn TEU. The top four ports were: Pivdennii - 23.4mn tons, up 20.3%; Mykolaiv - 15.3mn tons, up 19.5%; Chornomorsk - 12.3mn tons, up 21.1%; and Odessa - 12.1mn tons, up 12.3%.
Container traffic at Ukraine’s seaports jumped 20% during the first seven months of this year, compared to the same period last year. With Ukrzaliznytsia inaugurating new container routes almost every month, the number of containers handled at the ports hit 545,803, according to the Sea Ports Administration.
In a key economic indicator, Ukraine’s seaports handled 16% more cargo through July than in the first seven months of last year. Grain accounted for one-third of the 85.5mn tons. Grain shipments were up 35% y/y. Using ever bigger ships, companies opt for the efficiencies of Ukraine’s largest ports. The three largest grew faster than the national average: Pivdennii +24%, to 28mn tons; Mykolaiv + 23%, to 18mn tons; Chornomorsk +19%, to 14.2mn tons. Odesa was below the national average, growing 14%, to almost 14mn tons.
Dnipro River cargo is up by 32%, to 5.5mn tons, through July, reports the Sea Ports Administration. As barges get bigger, the actual number of river trips fell to 5,775, down 31% compared to the first seven months of last year. Grain cargo more than doubled, hitting 2.2mn tons. Last year, Dnipro River cargo grew by 22% over 2017.
● Cars
The outgoing Government proposes a 50%% increase in road spending next year -- $3bn for the main roads linking regional capitals and $400mn for district-level roads. By November, 9,000 km of main roads will have repaired or rebuilt over the last three years, the largest amount Ukraine has seen since the road-building frenzy leading up to the 1980 Summer Olympics, Groysman said. Similarly, he said most of the nation’s 22,000 km of ‘territorial’ roads have not repaired since they were built – in the 1970s.
Cross-border trade with Poland is so intense that by mid-August Ukrainian trucking companies have used up almost all their Polish permit quotas for the entire year, warns the European Business Association. In general, Poland and Ukraine split the permits 50-50. But Polish companies are short of drivers and do not want to come to Ukraine. The EBA appeals to President Zelenskiy to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda and “contribute to solving this problem in the long term.”
At the request of President Zelenskiy’s office, Ukravtodor is drawing up a five year, $20 billion, 24,000 km road building and repair program, reports Slawomir Nowak, acting head of the state highway agency. Nowak, a Pole, said he hopes to attract EU and World Bank funding for much of the program. Ukraine has about 165,000 km of paved roads, many unrepaired since the 1970s.
64 UKRAINE Country Report September 2019 www.intellinews.com