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Ukraine speeding up liberalization of port charges for all types of goods

Business Materials 23 October 2019 16:00 (UTC +04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Oct. 23

By Leman Zeynalova - Trend:

Ukraine is taking measures to speed up liberalization of port charges for all types of goods, Sergey Shteluk, economic advisor at Ukrainian embassy in Baku, said in an interview with Trend.

He noted that a 75 percent discount has been in effect in Pivdennyi Sea Port since October 2017 on port charges for oil tankers.

“This decision creates necessary conditions for transit of Azerbaijani oil to oil refineries of EU countries. Currently, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers is taking measures to speed up the process of liberalization of port charges for transportation and transit of all types of goods. The main goal is to have a competitive tariff and price policy of Ukrainian ports, which play a key role in transit of goods from such partner countries as Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey,” added the advisor.

Shteluk went on to add that Ukraine, with its advantageous geographical positions has great potential of sea ports.

The total volume of cargo transshipment in Ukraine’s sea ports stood at 114.5 million tons in the first nine months of 2019, which is 19.4 percent more compared with the same period of 2018, he said.

“More than 50 percent of the total volume of cargoes passing through Ukrainian seaports accounted for grain and iron ore. In particular, grain transshipment volumes increased by 40 percent, metal ores - 32 percent, mineral fertilizers and liquid bulk cargo (oil, oil products) - 10 percent. Positive dynamics is observed not only in the ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, Pivdennyi, Kherson, Olvia, Nikolaev, Izmail, but also in the Mariupol Sea Port, where cargo transshipment increased by more than 100,000 tons year-on-year for the first time. About 90 percent of the total cargo turnover in Ukraine is provided by four ports: Pivdennyi - 38.5 million tons, Nikolaev - 23.8 million tons, Chernomorsk - 18.8 million tons and Odessa - 18.1 million tons,” said the adviser.

He pointed out that Azerbaijani companies are actively using the seaports of Ukraine.

“Ports of Odessa and Pivdennyi receive Azerbaijani oil and oil products, while the ports of Chernomorsk and Nikolaev are used for export and import operations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan,” he added.

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