First half cargo through Black Sea ports up 5.5pc to 1.2 million TEU

First half cargo through Black Sea ports up 5.5pc to 1.2 million TEU FIRST half container volume, including empties, but not transshipments, through Black Sea ports in Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria and Georgia rose 5.5 per cent to 1.2 million TEU year on year. But laden container numbers fell 24.32 per cent in Georgia and 0.03 in Bulgaria, according to Informall's Black Sea Container Market Review. In the first half of the year, the report estimated that 51.2 per cent of full containers comprised imports while the rest were exports. "Export volumes from the aforementioned countries increased by 12.35 per cent compared to the first half of 2015, Informall was cited as saying in a report by Black Sea Market Review. "The highest export volume drop was shown by Georgia 22.31 per cent. In Russia and Ukraine, there was an increase of laden export. Moreover, Russia and Ukraine have achieved significant volume growth of 42.74 per cent and 26.38 per cent respectively." The market review added that imports to the region fell by 0.29 per cent, "mainly because of Georgian import volume drop." In addition, laden import volumes rose in Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria by 23.54 per cent, 16.92 per cent and 4.1 per cent respectively. But in Russia this dropped by eight per cent.