Ukrainian seaports handled 1.2 million tonnes of iron ore in August

In August 2024, Ukrainian seaports handled 1.2 million tonnes of iron ore, up from 195 thousand tonnes in August 2023. This is stated in a press release from the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA).

In total, 7 million tonnes of cargo were handled during the month, which is more than double the 3.3 million tonnes of 2023. Grain cargo accounted for the largest volume – 4 million tonnes, up from 2.3 million tonnes in August last year.

In August, cargo turnover through the Ukrainian corridor totalled 5.9 million tonnes, of which 3.6 million tonnes were products of Ukrainian farmers.

In January-August 2024, Ukrainian seaports increased cargo handling by 77.2% compared to the same period in 2023, to 66.8 million tonnes (37.7 million tonnes in January-August 2023). 7,769 vessels were handled, compared to 9,732 in 2023.

At the same time, in the 12 months of operation of the Ukrainian sea corridor (since August 2023), which operates exclusively with the assistance of the Joint Defence Forces, 64.4 million tonnes of cargo were transported through it. Since then, 2,379 vessels have sailed through the corridor, exporting Ukrainian products to 46 countries. Agricultural products account for the largest share of shipments – 43.5 million tonnes. Another 20.9 million tonnes were other cargoes, including iron and steel.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in 2023, Ukrainian ports increased cargo transshipment by 5% y/y – to 62 million tonnes, with iron ore transshipment accounting for 5.9% of the total cargo turnover, 1.9 million tonnes. This can be considered the beginning of the industry’s recovery after a difficult 2022, when port cargo turnover fell by 2.6 times compared to pre-war 2021.