4 June (BNS)

The Estonian state-owned AS Tallinna Sadam (Port of Tallinn) handled 2.69 million tons of goods this May, less than in the previous months this year and last May. This year the monthly cargo handling volume of the port has fluctuated between 2.74 and 2.92 million tons. The year before in May 3.28 million tons of cargo was handled. Overall in the five first months of the year the port handled goods totalling 13.82 million tons, 14% less than in the same period last year.

The handling of liquid cargo, the biggest group of commodities, has fallen the most to 9.38 million tons, 22% less than in the first five months last year. At the same time, the handling of ro-ro goods has grown 6% to 1.65 million tons, of timber cargo 15% to 1.74 million tons, and container goods 20% to 0.71 million tons. The number of containers that have passed through the port has grown 31% to 98 702. The amount of mixed cargo has fallen 21% and totalled 0.29 million tons in the five months.

In terms of directions of carriage the amount of transit has contracted at least 18% to 10.79 million tons due to the fall in the handling of liquid cargo. Estonia's import has grown 7% to 1.48 million tons but Estonian exports have fallen 4% to 1.46 million tons.

The number of passengers that have used the services of Tallinna Sadam has grown 6% during the five months. The number of passengers on the Tallinn-Helsinki route has grown 5% to more than 2.62 million. In Tallinn-Stockholm traffic the number of passengers has grown by half to 358 100 passengers. On the Stockholm-Tallinn-St. Petersburg route the port has served 62 300 passengers and the number of cruise passengers was 72 200.

2007 passenger and 880 cargo ships have called at Port of Tallinn during the five months.