In the first nine months of 2024, the Black Sea container terminals of Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine collectively handled 979,000 TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), marking a significant 14% increase compared to the same period in 2023. This growth highlights the recovery of containerized trade, particularly in Ukraine, following the restoration of key maritime links to Ukrainian ports.
Key Highlights of the 2024 Container Traffic:
- Volume Breakdown: Of the total 979,000 TEU, 53% were imports and 47% were exports, with an estimated 77% of the containers being laden, and 22% empty.
- Import Growth: Imports across the three countries rose by 19% compared to 2023. Ukraine saw the most remarkable increase with a 116% surge in imports, while Romania’s imports grew by 23%, and Bulgaria saw a slight decrease of about 3%.
- Export Performance: Exports from these countries increased by nearly 10%, primarily driven by strong growth in Ukrainian exports (+64%) and Bulgarian exports (+14%).
- Laden Container Distribution: Romania accounted for 70% of the laden container traffic in the region, followed by Bulgaria (22%) and Ukraine (8%).
Ukraine’s Role in the Growth: Ukraine’s revival in container handling can be attributed to the re-establishment of direct container feeder services. In early 2024, Ukrainian ports saw an influx of transshipment activity as companies like MSC and Maersk launched new routes, enhancing connectivity between Ukrainian ports and major international hubs.
Regional Trends:
- Russia’s Novorossiysk Port: Container throughput at Novorossiysk grew by 7%, totaling 570,000 TEU, with MSC and Turkish carriers handling about 40% of the volume. Local Russian carriers transported the remaining 60%.
- Georgia’s Decline: Georgia saw a slight decline in container turnover, with a forecasted decrease of 15%, bringing the total for 2024 to around 440,000 TEU.
Future Outlook: The Black Sea container market is projected to continue its growth trajectory, with a forecasted increase of 5-7% annually, potentially reaching over 3 million TEU by 2025. The primary driver of this growth is expected to be the continued restoration and expansion of direct container services to Ukrainian ports.
This period of recovery and expansion reflects not only the resilience of the region’s logistics infrastructure but also the strategic importance of Ukrainian ports in the broader Black Sea and global shipping network.