ROMA - In 2002 in the Italian ports 547.000 arrivals have been registered for a total of 840 million register tons, with a fall of 4,8% of passengers and an increasing of goods of 3%. This has been pointed out by the Istat in the 2002 maritime transportation survey, underlining that the comparison with the previous years must be done considering some new methodological aspects. In the total traffic of goods that is of 458 million of tons, the petroliferous product, which quantity grew up of 6%, 84% of those come from foreign countries, above all from Libia (31 million tons). In general in the goods' section, the first port as total movement has been that of Genova, with 44,4 million tons (+3%). Soon after there is Trieste with 43,7 million tons (-2,2%) and at the third place there is Taranto with 32 million tons. As far as the point of departure and the destination of the goods, the short distance navigation grows up of 4,3%, while there a fall for the long distance. Libia is the foreign country that registered the main entering of goods, while the main discharging port for the Italian goods has been the Spain.
Il Messaggero Marittimo