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“Of course, politically it can happen, but in any case, logic has no place. Looking economically and at the cargo that Belarus transports through the Klaipeda port, this could not happen in the near future, because it requires technical parameters, a structured logistics chain, specialized terminals, complete work, A. Latakas told BNS.
According to him, Latvia could perhaps take over the Belarusian cargo quickly, and this route would be the most economically attractive for Minsk.
“Once that load went through Latvia, the same fertilizers went through Ventspils and Riga, and they have some of those possibilities, but they have to be prepared for them.” It is difficult to predict how long it would take if they had a similar contract, if they put all their effort into it, because it is a lot of money, considering both the railways and something else, “said the port manager.
According to him, it would be difficult to divert cargo to the Russian port on the Gulf of Finland at Ust Luga, he would have to increase capacity and he would have to transport it much further by rail.
“It should not be ruled out that part of the cargo that travels to China may be transported through Russian ports in the Black Sea, of course, Ukraine must be crossed. The theoretical possibilities are there and can be used one day, if so decided ”, commented A. Latakas.
“But today, what the Belarusians have (Klaipeda port – BNS) – economically it is the best and most convenient way for them to transport cargo,” he added.
However, if Klaipeda, which is called the unofficial port of Belarus, loses a third of its cargo, Belarus exports about 15 million tons of cargo a year. tons, which, according to A. Latakas, would represent a significant loss for the port.
“A big flow, really big, the Klaipeda port would feel it. Since 2006, when the Belarusian cargo from Latvia headed to Lithuania, the flow has always been increasing. To maintain them, the port of Klaipeda invested heavily: it deepened the canal, expanded the construction of docks and built terminals. Everything is adapted to that load: large amounts of fertilizer. They are not loaded so easily, you have to prepare for it and you have to put in a lot of money, “said the person in charge of the Klaipeda port.
According to A. Latakas, the largest buyers of cargo in Belarus are Chinese and Brazilian customers: large ships sail to these countries. The little ones also sail from Klaipeda to European ports.
“Anyway, Klaipeda is an unofficial port of Belarus. They have no sea and since many cargoes are multi-ton, they are not transported by car. Imagine a ship that loads 80,000 here. Tons. You need to understand the amount of cargo. It can only be taken out by boat. In any case, they need the sea, “the port manager told BNS.
Last year, the port of Klaipeda handled 46.22 million tons of cargo. tons of cargo: 0.36 million. tons (0.8 percent) less than in 2018, when the cargo handling record was reached. In the first half of this year, cargo handling fell 6.6 percent. up to 22.1 million tons. Port managers predicted a decrease in cargo handling even before the coronavirus crisis.
According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Belarusian cargo accounted for 30.2 percent last year. annual handling of the port of Klaipeda – 15.5 million. heaps.
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