In the first eight months of the current year, Ukraine’s seaports handled 134,191 TEU, marking the highest figure since the onset of the full-scale war. This volume of container transportation exceeded the annual result of 2024 by 3.3%. In comparison, a total of 129,902 TEU was handled throughout the previous year.
This is reported by Business • Media
Structure of Container Transportation
According to data from the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine, the majority of container traffic consisted of exports – 66,892 TEU. The import component reached 63,042 TEU, while transit shipments amounted to 4,257 TEU. Despite numerous challenges faced by the Ukrainian transport sector due to the state of war, the ports demonstrate consistent resilience and are increasing cargo handling volumes.
“Despite the war, shelling, and numerous global logistics challenges, Ukrainian seaports continue to show resilience and stable growth,” noted experts, adding that such results are an important signal for businesses that Ukrainian ports remain reliable even in crisis conditions and are capable of handling export-import cargoes.
Challenges and Prospects for Port Infrastructure Development
Victor Berestenko, head of the Association of International Freight Forwarders of Ukraine, emphasized that over 60% of value-added and finished goods are currently transported through the Baltic ports. To restore pre-war transshipment volumes, he stated that additional efforts are needed. He set a target figure of 200,000 TEU but noted that achieving a level of over one million TEU, as was the case in 2021, requires much more work.
Industry experts highlight the importance of optimizing customs procedures for transit and imports, as well as accelerating cargo processing, which will enhance the competitiveness of Ukrainian ports and ensure further growth in container transportation even under the challenging conditions of war.