Mariupol maritime merchant port cut cargo transshipments by 29.4%, to 624,700 tonnes in January 2015.

The port more than halved export transshipments, to 383,000 tonnes, while import transshipments increased by 34 times, to 183,600 tonnes. In-transit handling almost ceased, falling from 76,400 tonnes to 100 tonnes, according to the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority. Domestic cargo transshipments rose by 253 times, from 300 tonnes to 76,000 tonnes.

The port increased liquid cargo transportation by 2.6 times, to 16,800 tonnes. Dry bulk cargo transshipments dropped by 7.3%, to 301,900 tonnes, while packed cargo transshipments fell by 44%, to 324,000 tonnes.

Mariupol maritime merchant port is one of the largest seaports in Ukraine. The port's handling capacity is more than 17 million tonnes of cargo per year. The port is open to ships with a total length of up to 240 meters, and a draught of up to 8 meters all year round. The port occupies 73.2 hectares with the dock line's length totaling 4.2 km.

Shipping in Donbas was hit hard in 2014 due to the region's instability. Shipping last year reached 12 million tonnes, which is 92.3% of the target, port director Oleksandr Oliynyk said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

"Mainly it happened due to the activity in the first half of the year. Later, with the beginning of active fights in the region, the port lost such traditional freight traffic as clay and coal. Also steel products manufacturers (another traditional cargo for us) had to cut overall production," he said.

He also said that the port tried to estimate the volume of transshipment in 2015 based on advance agreements with cargo shippers, define the "break even point," taking into account possible foreign exchange rate fluctuations, and hopefully estimate possible profit.