The Black Sea ports - the eastern maritime gates of Europe

Volume XXI 2018 ISSUE no.1 MBNA Publishing House Constanta 2018 SBNA PAPER • OPEN ACCESS The Black Sea ports - the eastern maritime gates of Europe To cite this article: R. Bosneagu, Scientific Bulletin of Naval Academy, Vol. XXI 2018, pg. 583-592. Available online at www.anmb.ro ISSN: 2392-8956; ISSN-L: 1454-864X doi: 10.21279/1454-864X-18-I1-088 SBNA© 2018. This work is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 License The Black Sea ports - the eastern maritime gates of Europe R. Bosneagu „Mircea cel Batran” Naval Academy Constantza, Romania [email protected] Abstract: The port is a place situated on the shore of a sea, river or another waterway, protected by waves and currents, equipped with all the facilities necessary for the mooring, loading, unloading, and repairing of ships. Today, however, the modern seaport exceeds this classical definition, it is a specialized shipping infrastructure, being a complex economic unit with a wider commercial and industrial function than the production process of the major international commercial companies. Black Sea ports are the eastern maritime frontier of Europe, essential gates for entry and exit of imported and exported goods, the eastern maritime facade of Europe 1. Introduction Seaports are commercial and passengers ports or combined, for freight and passengers. A seaport is a coastal or shore-side landing where ships can moor and unload cargo and have car and rail links to the hinterland. There are specialized terminals within or out of ports. Sea and river ports are the main gateways for import and export goods for many countries with a maritime facade. In the European legislation, the maritime port is defined as an area of land and sea that includes a set of specific activities and equipment to ensure, in particular, berthing of the ships, their loading and unloading, the storage of goods, their reception and delivery, and the landing of the passengers. Over time, the role of seaports has changed. In ancient times the harbors were regarded as a safe shelter against the dangers of the sea; they have contributed to the prosperity and cohesion of Europe and other major regions of the world. Old civilizations had their important ports, especially in the Mediterranean basin. Maritime powers have developed through the boldness and spirit of exploring its people. The great explorers have brought Europe to the map of the world's maritime trade. The maritime trade has grown through Atlantic and North Sea ports, bringing innovation to finance and maritime insurance. The Hanseatic League represented the force that secured the development of the ports of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. With the economic development of human society, with the growth of trade, the role of port-cities as prosperity factors has increased sharply. The end of the 19th century and the beginning of the twentieth century is the romantic time of the seaport, perceived as a window to the world, and with a rich and intense human activity of loading and unloading ships to the quake. The second part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century provide the predominant picture of the installations and containers as a symbol of the seaport [1]. The modern seaport is a complex concept that draws its sake from the past (safe haven, a gate to the world), which provides value-added and shelters a multitude of integrative industrial activities, an expert center with a high technologically qualified leadership. The port includes all aquaria, land, hydro-technical constructions, waterways, rails, buildings, warehouses, platforms, railways, roads, installations and equipment within its perimeter. Today, the seaports with adjacent port areas are ideal for industrial and logistics activities and provide conditions for fishing, leisure, and tourism. The port provides opportunities for practicing specific jobs. In a port works: dockers, container terminal operators, ship agents, brokers, sailors, merchants, port captains, captains, port authorities, ship pilots, shipbuilders, customs agents, bank agents, insurers, quality controllers, police officers, firefighters, lawyers, etc. [2]. 2. Modern seaports functions A modern seaport fulfills the following main functions: - the role of receiving and sheltering ships by organized ships and safely berthing; - the transshipment function of goods and products; - temporary or durable storage of goods under optime conditions; - the distribution function of the goods; - industrial and productive capacity; - the commercial role; - logistics function, by performing various ship services: maneuvers, repair, supply; - the cultural function. The commercial activities of the seaports have become particularly profitable as a result of the increase in freight traffic through them, and the increase in the volume of goods produced in the port area. Maritime scholarships, investments in the development and modernization of maritime ports and maritime transport means, their productive regions, fiscal, customs, governmental facilities are the main elements that enhance the commercial function of modern maritime ports. Modern ports have adopted strategies for the fluidity of goods transit, and the disruption of this chain requires port authorities to develop logistics activities, which would be the second fundamental strategy to increase the competitive power of ports. A port is a central point of logistics and involves accepting the following specific objectives: - the organization of ports and port infrastructures according to their logistics objective; - renting and concessioning of the various spaces necessary for the implementation of logistic activities; - active participation of specialists in the full use of the port area and the provision of facilities for logistics activities (shipping agencies, logistics operators, etc.). In general, ports are divided according to their size and economic importance in major ports and small or minor ports. The big ports can be [11]: - the most numerous natural ports, almost half of the world's ports, formed by the shelter of a favorable coast, reef, cape or islands; - artificial harbors, built entirely at the shelter of protective dikes or as a continuation of smaller natural ports, represent almost 20% of the world's ports; these are especially ports exposed to dominant winds, waves or high currents; - natural river ports located along a river, usually with the banks parallel to the banks, over 18% of the total ports; - artificial river ports with inland-built basins, most of them parallel to the river axis, 1-2% of all ports; - sea and river ports situated along an artificial canal or river with a navigable waterway, approximately 1-2% of all ports. 3. Black Sea ports short geographic and economic characterization The Black Sea is a natural inland water basin situated between Europe and Asia, and has the aspect of a deep basin, oriented from west to east, that is extending at approximately latitude six degrees and longitude five degrees, between the parallels: Lat. 400 55’N, La. 460 37’N and the meridian lines: Long. 270 27’E, Long. 410 47’E. It is an intercontinental sea, being in connection with the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosfor Strait and with the Azov Sea through the Kerch Strait. The main physical – geographical data of the Black Sea (table 1, and figure1) makes it having an individual character into the Euro-Asian context, in other words, as an area with a particular specific. Table 1 - The Black Sea - main physical-geographical data 1. Surface: 413,490 km2 12. 2. Volume: 529,955 km3 13. 3. The maximum depth: 2,212 m (the medium depth 1271 m)/2243 m Maximum length, on the parallel of 42030’N, 14. 4. 15. The distance to the North Sea: approx.1,300 km The distance to the Mediterranean Sea (Gibraltar): approx. 1,300 km The surface of the hydrographical basin: 2,405,000 km2 The level difference between the Elbrus between Burgas and the Caucasian coast: 1,149 peak (5,633 m) and the maximum depth: km (662 nautical miles - M) 7,878 m 5. The maximum width (on the meridian of 31012’ 16. The continental platform: 133,000 km2 E): 650 km (332 nautical miles) (40% from the total sea surface) 6. The minimum width (on the Cape Sarîci meridian 17. The flow of the inlet water through – Crimeea pen.): 267 km (144 M) Bosphorus Strait: 450 km3 7. The coasts length: 4,047 km (2,200 nautical miles) 18. The flow of the fresh water: 400 km3 8. The distance up to the White Sea: approx. 1.300 19. The distance up to the Suez Canal: approx. km 650 km 9. The distance up to the Persian Gulf: approx. 1,300 20. The distance up to the Caspian Sea: approx. km 350 km 10. The extreme points: in the northern part 46 033’N 21. The presence of the hydrogen sulfide: from at Berezan Estuary, near Oceakov, in the eastern the depth of 150…200 m part 41042’E between Batumi and Poti, in the southern part 40056’N at Giresun, and in the western part 27027’E in the Burgas Bay. 11. The Romanian coast: from Vama Veche to 22. The shelf represents 24% from the sea Musura mouth (225 km); the Ukrainian coast: surface, (5…15 km on the largest part of from Musura mouth to Kerci Strait (1,200 km); the the sea), it is extended up to the depth of Russian coast: from Kerci narrow to Psou River 90…110 m (140…160 m at the south of mouth (239 km); the Georgian coast: from Psou Sevastopol and Yalta), the depression River mouth to Chorotka River mouth (310 km); (36%) is delimited by the isobath of 200 m the Turkish coast: from Chorotka river mouth to Aria of northwestern shelf: 191,600 km2 Rezovka river mouth (1,695 km); the Bulgarian coast: from Rezovka river mouth to Vama Veche (378 km). * The distances to the geographical areas presented above are measured in a straight line In the Black Sea basin, there are six riparian countries: Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia, Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the Republic of Moldova, and a 54 sea and river ports and (table 2 and figure 1). Table 2 - The Black Sea ports No. 1 Country Romania Ports Braila 2 Galatzi 3 Tulcea 4 Sulina 5 Midia 6 Constantza 7 Medgidia 8 Mangalia 9 Bulgaria Varna 10 Balchik 11 Nessebar 12 Bourgas Co-ordinates Lat. 45015' N, Long. 027059' E Lat. 45025' N, Long. 028005' E Lat. 45010' N, Long. 028049' E Lat. 45009' N, Long. 029038' E Lat. 44020' N, Long. 028041' E Lat. 44010' N Long. 028039' E Lat. 44015' N, Long. 028016' E Lat. 43048' N, Long. 028036' E Lat. 430 12' N, Long. 027057' E 18 nautical miles north of Varna Lat. 42039' N, Long. 027044' E Lat. 42030' N, Long. 027029' E Type Riverport Size medium River port medium Riverport small River and seaport medium Seaport and Danube Back Sea canal port Seaport small Riverport Biggest port of the Black Sea small Sea port small Sea port major Sea port small Sea port small Seaport major 13 Turkey Istanbul 14 Eregli 15 Zonguldak 16 Bartin 17 Sinop 18 Samsun 19 Giresun 20 Espiye 21 Tirebolu 22 Trabzon 23 Rize 24 Hopa 25 Georgia Batumi 25 Supsa 27 Poti 28 Kulevi 29 Sukhumi 30 Russian Federation Sochi 31 Tuapse 32 Novorossiysk 33 Port Kavkaz 34 Taganrog 35 Ukraine Kerch 36 Mariupol 37 Berdyansk 38 Theodosia 39 Yalta 40 Sevastopol 41 Evpatoria 42 Chernomorsk Lat. 41001' N, Long. 028059' E Lat. 41018' N, long 031027' E Lat.41028' N, Long. 031049' E Lat. 41041' N, Long. 032014' E Lat. 42001' N, Long. 035008' E Lat. 41018' N, Long. 036021' E Lat. 40055' N, long. 038023' E Lat. 40057' N, Long. 038042' E Lat. 41001' N, Long. 038050' E Lat. 41001' N, long. 039046' E Lat. 41003' N, Long. 040032' E Lat 41023' N, long. 041025' E Lat. 41039' N, Long. 041038' E Lat. 42001' N, Long. 041043' E Lat. 42009' N, Long. 041039' E Lat. 42016' N, Long. 041038' E Lat. 42057' N, Long. 041000' E Lat 43035' N, Long. 039043' E Lat. 44005' N, Long. 039004' E Lat. 44043' N, Long. 037047' E Lat. 45020' N, Long. 036040' E Lat. 47012' N, Long. 038057' E Lat. 45 22' N, long. 0360 29' E Lat. 470 06' N, Long. 037035' E Lat. 46 45' N, Long. 036 47' E Lat. 45004' N, Long. 035024' E Lat. 44030' N, Long. 034012' E Lat. 44037' N, Long. 0330 32' E Lat. 45011' N, Long. 033023' E Lat. 45 30' N, Seaport major Sea port small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport small Seaport major Oil Marine Terminal small Seaport major Sea port small Seaport medium Seaport small Seaport small Sea port major Azov Sea port small Azov Sea port small Seaport small Azov Sea port small Azov Sea port small Seaport small Seaport small Sea port major Sea port medium Seaport small 43 Kerson 44 Nikolaev 45 Dneprobugsky 46 Youzhny 47 Odessa 48 Ilicevsk 49 50 Belgorod Dnestrovsky Ust Dunaysk 51 Kilia 52 Izmail 53 Reni 54 Republic Moldova of Long. 032 40' E Lat. 46037' N, Long. 032037' E Lat. 46056' N, Long. 031057' E Lat. 460 35' N, Long. 0310 57' E Lat. 46036' N, Long. 031001' E Lat. 46032' N, Long. 030054' E Lat. 46019' N, Long. 030040' E Lat. 44005' N, Long. 039004' E Lat. 45028' N, Long. 029042' E Lat. 45026' N, Long. 029017' E Lat. 45020' N, Long. 028051' E Lat. 45026' N, Long. 028018' E Giurgiulesti small River port medium Riverport small Seaport small Sea port major Seaport medium Riverport small Riverport small Riverport small Riverport small Riverport small Riverport small 36000’E 32000’E 28000’E Seaport 40000’E Kherson Odesa Illichyvsk Azov Sea Karkiniska Bay Kerch Strait Kerch Sulina Kalamitska Bay Symferopol Anapa 45000’N Novorossiysk Sevastopol Midia Constanţa Yalta Tuapse 225 km 1200 km Mangalia Varna 332 M 239 km Black Sea 378 km Sochi 144 M 310 km Sukhumi 43000’N 662 M Burgas Poti -2,212 m Cape Kerempe 1695 km Batumi Sinop Zonguldak Samsun Trabzon Istanbul 41000’N Izmit Figure 1 - The Black Sea dimensions, and its riverine countries and ports Source: after Nicolaev and Bologa, GEO-ECO-MARINA Review 11/2005 The Black Sea represents an economic, cultural and socio-political entity that nowadays surpasses its known geographical area very much. In the last years, the geostrategic importance of the Black Sea basin is emphasized due to increased attention from the main political actors, if we take into consideration the recent political, diplomatic, economic, cultural, scientific researchers, military actions, etc. in this area. The Black Sea position between West and East, i.e. at the crossing of the civilisations, the importance of the nearby riparian states or the states that have political and economic interests in this area, developed an increased interest of the scientists from different fields of activity that are planning multidisciplinary researches that will take more years to be finished. At these researches will participate representatives of countries and scientific institutions that are situated far away from the Black Sea and whose interest in this area was lower a few years ago. As regards Romania, this supposes to intensify its presence in all these activities as well as to strengthen its position as a riparian country by bringing into the spotlight its geostrategic position on political, economic, cultural, scientific, sports levels, etc. The briefly economical power situation of the states bordering the Black Sea is presented as follows (by UNCTAD, 2017 and http://www.tradingeconomics.com): a) population (table 3 and graph 1); b) GDP (table 3 and graph 2); c) GNI per capita - Atlas Method (table 3 and graph 3); d) merchandise trade (table 3 and graph 4). Table 3 - Population, GDP, GNI, and FDI inflows for the Black Sea riparian countries in 2015/2016 GNI per capita – Atlas Method (current USD 2015 9,121 FDI inflows 2015 Mil. USD Merchandise trade Exports/imports Mill.USD 177.956 Percent of the world economy % 0.29 3,388.88 60,590/69,874 7,150,000 48.953 0.08 6,847 1,773.86 25,383/29,232 Turkey 80,275,000 717.888 1.16 9,126 16,508.0 143,829/207,395 Georgia 4,930,000 13.965 0.02 3,491 1,350.17 2,205/7,281 Russian Federation 142,360,000 1,326.016 2.15 9,246 9,842.93 341,465/192,952 Ukraine 44,210,000 90.615 0.15 2,022 2,961.0 37,859/36,317 Republic of Moldova 3,520,000 6.475 0.01 1,591 228.52 1,967/3,987 303,955,000 2,381.868 3.86 36,053.36 613,298/547,028 Country Population (mil.) 2016 GDP (current billion USD) 2015 Romania 21,600,000 Bulgaria Total Average: 5,920 150,00 100,00 50,00 0,00 Graph 1- Black Sea riparian countries population (mil.2016) 1400,00 1200,00 1000,00 800,00 600,00 400,00 200,00 0,00 Graph 2 - Black Sea riparian countries GDP (billion USD - 2015) 10000,00 8000,00 6000,00 4000,00 2000,00 0,00 Graph 3 - Black Sea riparian countries GNI per capita (USD - 2015) 400000,00 350000,00 300000,00 250000,00 200000,00 150000,00 100000,00 50000,00 0,00 Graph 4 - Black Sea riparian countries marchandise trade (export/import USD - 2015) For the Black Sea riparian countries, the global economy crisis and post-crisis has meant a particular period, politically, socially but also economical difficult, characterized by a prolonged transition required for adapting to the new imposed standards of the Euro-Atlantic integration of Romania and Bulgaria, but also for Turkey (NATO member with aspirations of European integration; Ukraine and Georgia act for development and modernization to assure the nominations for NATO and EU integration by meeting their requirements. The Russian Federation, after the illegal annexation of Crimea, is subject to a robust international embargo with strong politic-economical repercussions. Because the necessary autochthonous capital is insufficient for investments and development, the economic evolution of the Black Sea states is not enough being in a tight relationship with the levels of foreign investment. Romania has a developed maritime and naval industry, with a strong infrastructure formed of maritime and river ports, naval shipyards, research institutions, medium and superior maritime education institutions. The main seaports are Constantza, Mangalia, Midia, and Sulina, Galatzi and Braila (fluvial and seaports). Bulgaria has a developed maritime and naval industry, with a strong infrastructure formed of maritime and river ports, naval shipyards, research institutions, medium and superior maritime education institutions. The main ports situated at the Black Sea are Burgas and Varna (to which Nesebar port adds). Turkey has a developed shipping and naval industry, owning a large number of commercial ships, many ports (at the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea), naval shipyards and research and education institutes. The Turkish port cities from the Black Sea area are: Eregli, Zonguldak, Inebolu, Samsun, Giresun, Trabzon, Hopa and Sinop, Rize; the export in these ports is represented by tea, metallurgical products, peanuts and so on and they import coal, ores, fertilizers, construction materials, etc. Georgia assures on its territory the shortest road, for the transit of goods, oil and natural gasses from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Central Asia Republics to the west, as well as between Russia and Turkey. The main ports of Georgia are Poti, Batumi, and Sukhumi. So that, the expansion of regional trade has caused the development of auto and railway transport but also the maritime one through the Poti port (from which a major part of export is accomplished). Russian Federation is a rich country with mineral resources, situating Russia among worlds top producers of coal, iron ore, oil, natural gas, nickel, chrome, asbestos, diamonds. Russia has a developed naval and maritime industry, many ports, naval shipyards and research and education institutes in the field. The main ports on the Black Sea are Novorossiysk, Tuapse, and Sochi. Ukraine has a developed maritime industry, important naval shipyards and research and education institutes in the maritime field. The main Ukrainian ports, situated in the Black Sea area are Ilichevsk, Odessa, Yujny, Kerson and Belgorod-Dnestrovsky, Nikolayev, Yalta, Chernomorets, Evpatoria, Sevastopol, Theodosia, Nikolaev, Kerci, Mariupol, Berdiansk, Reni, Izmail, Kilia, Ust-Dunaysk. The Republic of Moldova is situated in the Eastern Europe, at the northeast of Romania, it has a surface of 38,851 km2 and a population of 3,520,000 inhabitants (2016). It is entirely a continental country; therefore, it has not any coastline. The major port is Giurgiulesti; the entire area of the Giurgiulesti Free International Port has a free economic zone status until 2030. Thanks to its location, respectively on the Lower Danube, with available water depths of up to 7 m, this port can receive both river and maritime ships. In 2014 the fleet of Black Sea riparian countries amounted to 3,868 vessels with a total displacement of over 53 million tdw, accounting for about 1% of the world's merchant fleet. Note that most of these fleets are under the foreign flag, 72% (table 4) [4,5,6,7]. Table 4 - Ownership of the world fleet, as of 1 January 2014 (dwt) Country Number of ships Dead-weight (thousand dwt) Percent world total (dwt) Foreign flag, deadweight tonnage (thousand dwt) 1026 5 989 13,324 Foreign flag as % of total dwt 0.076 0.000 0.062 1.126 National flag, deadweight tonnage (thousand dwt) 254 3 55 5,559 Bulgaria Georgia Romania Russian Federation Turkey Ukraine 81 3 94 1734 1,279 8 1,044 18,883 1547 409 29,266 3,081 1.745 0.184 8,600 450 20,666 2,631 70.61% 85.39% Total 3,868 53,561 14,921 38,640 72 % 80% 64% 94.7% 70.56% The latest data (Review of Maritime Transport 2017) shows the position of the Turkish and Russian Federation (2017) in the top 25 world rankings (table 5): Table 5 - Top 25 Black Sea riparian countries Merchant National Fleets - 2017 Position 19. 15. Country Russian Federation Turkey Number of ships 1707 Dead-weight tons Rank 22,050,283 Foreign flag 67.38% 19 Rank (million USD) 9,081 1563 27,732,948 71.57% 20 9,055 It is worth mentioning that Turkey is present in the top 25 Ownership of container-carrying world fleet (2017) with a fleet of 512 container ships, with a total of 262,955 TEU and a market share of 1.18%. 4. Conclusions In the present maritime transport system (the Black Sea transport is an integrated subsystem of his own) we will consider four subsystems on which we can make the following considerations: the goods as object of maritime transports; the field in which the maritime transports take place, is the economic and judicial specific one, both intern and international; the ship is the particular sea mean of goods transportation; the port is the main means of export and import of goods, storage, and processing of the goods In the Black Sea exist a large number of commercial ports of different categories (small, medium, large and important) which ensure the transfer and the processing of the goods and raw materials. Again, we must mention that Constantza port is the most important one in the Black Sea area, and one of the biggest in Europe and worldwide, too. In the Black Sea, the line transportation is also practicable, in particular for the seaborne oil, ferry, and container seaborne. That`s why in Constantza, Burgas, Novorossiysk, Odessa, Tuapse ports develop modernization plans, petroleum terminals are getting bigger. Now In Constantza, Burgas, Novorossiysk, Odesa, Poti, Batumi, Samsun ports new container terminals are built. Moreover, in Constanţa, Samsun, Batumi, Poti, Burgas, Illichevsk new ferry terminals were developed and modernized. In the most important and large port of Black Sea (Constantza, Burgas, Varna, Samsun, Poti, Batumi, Novorossiysk, Odessa) several programs for the implementation of some systems for the manufacture of a multimodal transport are in development, in order to ensure the link between sea and land in a unitary, continuous and in a efficient way. Also, in the Black Sea, all another type of goods is transported. The medium and the large ports in the Black Sea (including the Romanian ones) are equipped with the technical port equipment necessary for the manipulation of these goods. The Black Sea routes and ports, the same prices of the products and freight are implemented like the ones on the international market. The container traffic through the Black Sea ports during the period 2011-2013 shows a significant increase from 11.4 million TEU to 12.9 million TEU(table 6, 7) [8, 9]. Table 6 - Container port throughput for Black Sea riparian countries for years 2011, 2012 and 2013 (TEUs) Country Turkey Russian Federation Ukraine Romania Georgia Bulgaria Total 2011 5990103 3 954 849 696 641 414 096 239 004 150,740 11,445,433 2012 6 736 347 3 930 515 748 889 423 081 256 929 162,045 12,257,806 2013 7 284 207 3 968 186 808 051 399 372 277 226 174,846 12,911,888 Table 7 - Container turnover in the Black Sea Ports (Bulgaria BG, Georgia GE, Moldova MD, Romania RO, Russia RU, Turkey TR, Ukraine UA) in 2012, 2013 in TEUs including empties and transshipment [9] 2012 2013 Growth (TEU) Growth (%) Novorossiysk (RU) 651 140 722 716 71 576 11,0 2 Constantza (RO) 680 360 661 124 -19 236 -2,8 3 Odessa (UA) 462 933 505 640 42 707 9,2 4 Роtі (GE) 284 600 331 324 46 724 16,4 5 Ilychevsk msp (UA) 219 915 227 347 7 432 3,4 6 Varna (BG) 128 390 132 066 3 676 2,9 7 Batumi (GE) 73 126 72 123 -1 003 -1,4 8 Bourgas (BG) 41 532 48 380 6 848 16,5 9 Yuzhny (UA) 30 660 46 305 15 645 51,0 10 Samsun (TR) 27 734 36 671 8 937 32,2 11 Trabzon (TR) 26 032 22 105 -3 927 -15,1 12 Rostov (Zapadniy port) (RU) 5 504 10 500 4 996 90,8 13 Taganrog (RU) 17 000 7 200 -9 800 -57,6 14 Mariupol (RU) 10 006 8 590 -1 416 -14,2 No. Port 1 15 Giurgiulesti (MD) 2 100 6 840 4 740 225,7 16 Ilichevsk (UA) 12 092 0 -12 092 -100,0 2,673,124 2,838,931 16, 807 6.2 TOTAL As for total container throughput, the list of top five container terminal was: DPW Constantza (Romania), APMT Poti (Georgia), Novoroslesexport (Russia), NUTEP (Russia) HPC Ukraine (Odessa) falling from the 2nd to the 5th position. As for operators of Black Sea lines, the list of leaders did not change in 2014: MSC, Maersk Line, CMA CGM, ZIM and ARKAS with only CMA CGM and ZIM having changed their positions. The above lines control 71.58% of the market of loaded containers in the Black Sea region [10]. 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