Baltic States – CIS, Estonia, Port, Transport

The cargo turnover of ports managed by Tallinna Sadam (Port of Tallinn) has grown a lot this year. In September it was 27.2 mln tonnes, by 16.8% more than last year. And growth was noted in all cargo types.

Sillamäe port terminal TankChem director Vyacheslav Spirin said that in his company the cargo flows have stayed unchanged, and like in 2008 are at minimum level. “Transit problem has to be solved at a political level. The main market, Russia, is closed for us,” Spirin claimed.

Transit specialist Raivo Vare said that the growth of cargo turnover in the region has been affected by a number of factors, mainly enlivenment of the world economy.

“The volume of cargo moving between Russia and the European Union grows. This benefits all: all ports of the region develop,” said Sillamäe port co-owner Tiit Vähi. "With the expansion of the Ust-Luga port, a part of cargo goes to Russia. But there will not be a 100% loss,” he said.

Russian industrialists and large companies association deputy president Aleksandr Murychev told Delovye Vedomosti that the volumes of cargo are growing and Russia must disperse risks. Spirin thinks that lunching the Ust-Luga port project takes main cargo flows away from Estonia and it is possible that Estonian ports will suffer from shortage of work.