Abstract:

Seaports are now central to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). For example, 75% of EU foreign trade and 30% of transport cargoes are moved within the EU by water transport. Ports of the Baltic Sea play a great role in European transport system, and in recent years they have become an area of high intensity development of maritime transport. Today Baltic Sea is the busiest sea in the world. Eliminating the main threat of pandemic COVID-19 the EU countries have implemented global blockage of supply chain vulnerability and have taken sufficiently effective measures to minimize the impact of blockage of seaports. As a result, seaports in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) were slightly affected by the pandemic. Nevertheless, since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a decrease in the overall capacity of BSR ports. Moreover, if in winter time of 2020 there was a decrease in cargo turnover, then in summer time it was restored. The article attempts to show the importance of seaport hinterlands, as well as models and their classification. Much attention is paid to the crisis conditions in which the cargo turnover, transshipment and activities of the ports of the BSR were carried out. The study is built on both theoretical and practical material, and the developed tools and methodology can be used in practical work.