The Bulgarian River Shipping Corporation (BRSC) posts a total of 1.19 million tonnes of cargo transported in 2003. The total cargo in 2002 was 750,000 tonnes, and in 2001 it was three times less, said BRSC executive director Dragomir Kochanov. Last year was marked by a series of difficulties, among them a record low level of the Danube and expensive fuel during the war against Iraq. The major boost of transportation goes along the Bulgaria-Ukraine route, where fees are in US dollars, Kochanov explained. This is why the dollar slump had a serious impact on the corporation's revenues. BRSC will post a profit smaller that the projected one. The Danube level rose by 2 meters recently, which ensures that the river will not freeze. The contracts brokered for 2004 are approximately on the same cargo volumes as last year, said Kochanov.