Container turnover at Far East ports falling owing to reorientation of cargo to roadway transport, other Russian ports - Central Bank

VLADIVOSTOK. March 13 (Interfax) - Container turnover at Russia's Far East ports decreased in monthly terms with seasonal adjustment in January owing to both imports and exports reaching a minimum since March 2024, the Central Bank of Russia said in its March report on the regional economy.

"The cost of seaborne and railway transportation of containers from China to the macro-region decreased one-third at the beginning of March compared to December 2024 owing to reorientation to delivery by roadway transport and to Russia's other ports," the Central Bank said.

Cargo turnover at Far East ports decreased 4% overall in January compared to December 2024 with seasonal adjustment primarily owing to a decline in transshipping gas, oil, petroleum products, and container cargo.

Meantime, companies noted an improvement in the situation with shipping container cargo to the Far East from the country's western regions. A large transport company shipped the first container train to one of the ports in the Primorsk Territory in February as part of a new export route from the Volga regions to Asian countries.