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March 16, 2022
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- Istat has analyzed the impact of the pandemic on activity
of Italian ports
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- Considerable on the passenger segment; less relevant
on goods
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Istat took stock of the impact of the crisis induced by the
Covid-19 pandemic on maritime transport in Italy, emergency -
explained the National Institute of Statistics - which froze the
passenger transport but not freight traffic. Only two data
highlight this: in 2020 the quantity of goods on board and
landed in Italian ports has been reduced by -7.6% compared to
to the previous year, while passenger transport is
decreased by more than a third (-36.3%), although in 2020 Italy will
is confirmed in first place among European countries for the number of
passengers transported by sea.-
- Regarding the position of Italian ports
in the European Union as regards goods handled, Istat has detected
that for several years Italy has ranked second in Europe,
after the Netherlands, for the carriage of goods by sea. In 2020, the
Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions put in place by the various countries
have led to a drastic reduction in the number of goods transported to
Worldwide. Compared to 2019 - specified the Institute -
in all the EU27 countries (from 2020 without the United Kingdom) the
decrease was -7.3%. The Netherlands, albeit with a
decrease of -8.2%, continue to maintain the primacy for
quantity of goods transported, (16.8% of the total number of countries)
EU). Following Italy, which holds a share of 14.1% and, compared to
to 2019, it marked a decrease of -7.6%. Italy precedes the
Spain, which has a share of 13.7% and has undergone a change of
-8.3% compared to 2019. Other countries relevant to transport
of goods by sea are Germany, France and Belgium (about 8% of the
EU total for each country). Among the top 20 European ports with the
greater quantity of goods transported, always in 2020,
Trieste is in eighth place and Genoa in thirteenth.
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- As for the passenger traffic sector, Istat has
highlighted that 2020 was a dramatic year
especially for the maritime transport of passengers due to the
restrictions on mobility imposed on citizens. At the level
compared to 2019, the transport of people by sea has been
practically halved (-45%). In Italy the decrease is
was lower than the European average (-36.3%) and did not compromise the
first place in Europe for the number of passengers boarded and
landed (24% of the EU total). This is followed by Greece, (17.8%) and
Denmark (13.4%). Other countries with a passenger quota
transported although relevant but lower are Croatia (8.2% of the total
EU), Germany (7.2%) and Spain (6.2%). To mark the primacy
of Italy mainly contribute the ports of Sicily. The
Europe's first port for passenger traffic is
Messina and the second Reggio di Calabria, which also includes Villa
St. John. Following are two Greek ports, but in fifth place
Naples is positioned.
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- About the ship traffic in Italian ports in the most year
hit by the pandemic, Istat explained that in 2020, despite
the decrease in the quantity of goods and passengers
transported by sea compared to 2019, there was a
overall increase in the number of trips, mainly determined
from the movements of empty ships. Overall in Italy in 2020
518,421 ships arrived, of which 98% in the "main ports for
goods" or "main ports for passengers". Compared to
2019, the latter recorded an increase of +7.1% in the number
of ships arrived. This increase in maritime movements is
due solely to the positive performance of non-cargo ships
specialized (+11.7%) while all other categories of ships have
highlighted significant decreases. The decline in travel is
was particularly evident for cruise ships (-90.5%), but
also for specialized carriers (-32.3%), passenger ships
(-16.0%) and other types of ships (-25.9%). In terms of tonnage
gross, the overall reduction in maritime transport is
equal to -15.6% (2.4 million the total gross tonnage of all
ships arrived in 2020) and covered all categories, although
non-specialised cargo ships are, in percentage terms,
those with the smallest variation (-2.2%). Also in
this case the most affected category is that of
cruise ships (-85.0%). In the main ports, cargo ships do not
as in the previous year, the
type of ship that has made more trips (about 450 thousand
ships arrived, over 88% of the total) and at the same time also the
type with the highest gross tonnage (70% of the total).
Passenger ships are in second place, accounting for about 6%
of ships arriving in the main Italian ports and 0.3% of the
total in terms of gross tonnage. Container ships and ships
liquid bulk carriers together make up 4% of the total and more
22% in terms of gross tonnage.
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- In 2020 more than 50% of non-specialized cargo ships have
touched a small number of ports, located mainly in the South:
Messina and Reggio di Calabria with 29% of the flows; to follow
Naples, Trapani, Piombino, Carloforte, Livorno, Portovesme, Palermo
and Genoa. In contrast, passenger ships (second category for
number of arrivals) affected a greater variety of
harbours. 21% of the trips involved a landing in the ports of Naples,
Trapani, Messina, Reggio di Calabria and Palermo. 52% of ships
liquid bulk carriers landed in the ports of Augsburg (at
first place), Naples, Ravenna, Venice (with Porto Marghera), Gioia
Tauro, Genoa, Livorno, Trieste and Palermo. Container ships,
instead, they have traveled routes directed mainly to the ports of
Genoa and Gioia Tauro, followed by La Spezia, Livorno, Venice,
Salerno, Trieste, Ravenna and Naples, covering a total of 83%
of arrivals. Ports that are distinguished by the number of ships
dry bulk carriers are Ravenna and Venice (which represent the
37%) followed by those of Cagliari, Taranto, Bari, Monfalcone,
Brindisi, Chioggia and Naples (which together represent the
30% of arrivals).
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- With regard to the types of goods on the ships they have made
stopover in Italian ports, Istat has specified that in Italy
about half a billion tons of
goods per year. Despite the fact that the transport of goods is relatively
more intense in the central quarters of the year than in the
first and fourth, non-port and maritime activity
it has strong characteristics of seasonality. In the last ten
years, the share of goods transported in the second and third
quarter stands on average per quarter at 26% of the total
annual. The first and fourth quarters shall cover a share equal to
24% each. The main product categories transported on
ship are raw materials and energy products such as coals
fossils, crude oil, natural gas and coke and products
refined petroleum (38.3% of the total transported). Compared to
2019 the amount of "Coke and petroleum products
refined" decreased by -8.7%, that of "Carbons"
fossils and lignites; crude oil and natural gas" of
-14,3%. All other categories are down, with the exception of the
category "Secondary raw materials; municipal waste and other waste
waste" that in 2020, despite representing only 0.3% of the
total goods transported, recorded an increase in
+46,1%. Liquid bulk makes up 39.3% of the commodity
transported; containers 20.5% while 20.7% is
consisting of ro-ro cargo, i.e. towed and non-towed vehicles
accompanied, such as road trailers and semi-trailers for the
freight transport, caravans and railway wagons.
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- As for Italy's national sea transport, the
Istat report specifies that the maritime transport of goods between
ports focuses more on the Tyrrhenian side, also for the
trade with island regions; the most consistent flows are
between Sicily and Campania and between Sardinia and Tuscany. Between the ports
Italians of the Adriatic side the most traffic relationship
important is between Veneto and Friuli - Venezia Giulia.
In the connection between the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian coasts prevails the
traffic between Sicily and Emilia-Romagna. For Ionic regions,
the prevailing relations are between Puglia and Emilia-Romagna and
Liguria, and Calabria with Liguria and Campania (excluding
connections with Sicily).
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- With regard to trade by sea with
italy's foreign countries, the report indicates that in 2020, in ports
about 470 million tons of
goods embarked and landed; among these, 60% concern
international traffic, with a total amount of
incoming goods equal to about 2.5 times the outgoing quantity
from the national territory. The most
important is with Turkey (over 37 million tons
overall, equal to 13.4% of the total), followed by Russia (32
million, or 11.4%) and Spain (23 million, or 8.3%). The first
ten traffic reports make up 63% of the exchanges of
goods on a ship between Italy and the rest of the world and, among these,
even China, although with a smaller weight, equal to 3.3% of traffic
international maritime trade.
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- Illustrating the impact of the pandemic on activities
ports, istat analysis explains that the pandemic has not affected
on all Italian ports in equal measure. In general, the
specialization of some ports, which under normal conditions
represents a strong point for their business, it is
transformed into a factor of weakness by exposing them more to
pandemic effects, while diversification
has protected the most versatile and multi-purpose joints during the
crisis. In 2020 the five main Italian ports by traffic
international container goods are Genoa, Gioia Tauro, La
Spezia, Livorno and Trieste, which alone have enlivened 76%
of goods transported in containers (in 2019 it was 79%). More
in detail, the port of Genoa remained on levels
similar to past years (only for container goods, since
overall it has suffered a decrease in goods of -11%), the
port of Gioia Tauro has instead increased by +24.4% the quantity
of goods in containers, while the ports of Livorno, La Spezia and
Trieste suffered a significant decline (respectively -35.2%,
-30,6%, -10,2%).
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- MARITIME TRANSPORT: THE NUMBERS
KEY.
Years 2019/2020, absolute values and changes
Percentages-
|
YEAR 2020 |
PERCENTUAL VARIATION 2019 |
Division |
- goods on board and
-
landed - tons
-
(thousands)
|
- number of ships
-
Arrived
|
- gross tonnage
-
average
|
- goods on board
-
and landed -
-
Tons
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(thousands)
|
- number of ships
-
Arrived
|
- gross tonnage
-
average
|
ITALY |
469.635 |
518.421 |
4.762 |
-7,6 |
7,4 |
-20,8 |
NORTH-WEST |
69.442 |
8.200 |
39.061 |
-15,3 |
-17,5 |
-6,0 |
NORTH-EAST |
115.738 |
9.299 |
18.160 |
-9,0 |
-24,3 |
1,7 |
CENTER |
59.841 |
59.494 |
7.247 |
-13,6 |
3,0 |
-36,5 |
SOUTH |
93.300 |
203.412 |
3.347 |
4,9 |
-1,9 |
-4,3 |
ISLANDS |
124.468 |
236.710 |
3.620 |
-7,8 |
24,6 |
-20,2 |
Unallocated |
6.847 |
1.306 |
8.113 |
20,1 |
-76,1 |
73,9 |
Source: Istat, Maritime transport |
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