RIA Novosti reported that Cargo turnover at Russia Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port amounted to 62.67 million tons in January to September 2010 up by 3.9%YoY.

Mr Igor Vilinov CEO of NCSP said "The grain export ban and volatile crude oil volumes have caused a drop in the volume of cargo turnover in the past nine months. He said that the grain export ban alone resulted in the loss of almost a million tonnes of cargo traffic."

However, Mr Vilinov said the company had seen positive changes in its cargo mix, such as growing share of priority cargoes including containers which nearly doubled in volume.

The company said in a statement that NCSP liquid cargo volumes decreased by 5.4% and bulk cargo volumes by 11.1% in January to September 2010. Volumes of crude oil and refined products at the Sheskharis terminal fell by 3.4% in the reporting period, while cutbacks in crude oil were partially offset by growing volumes of fuel oil.

NCSP said cargo turnover of mineral fertilizers increased by 48%YoY thanks to sustainable high market demand. Handling of raw sugar in the third quarter of 2010 grew by 21.2%YoY. Volumes of iron ore and ore concentrate in the reporting period continued to rebound and totaled 1.268 million tonnes in the first three quarters of 2010, while average monthly volumes of this cargo in August-September remained at 300,000 tonnes.

General cargo traffic in the reporting period remained practically on the same level. The volumes of non-ferrous metals, timber and perishable cargo increase by 28.3%, 29.9% and by 85% respectively.

(Sourced from RIA Novosti)