Due to the trade imbalance with China, Russia is experiencing an influx of containers, particularly during periods of increased Chinese export volumes. This has led to a surplus of empty containers in Moscow and other key transport hubs, as reported by RZD-partner. Freight forwarders, facing a scarcity of available containers for shipments to Russia, are compelled to purchase new ones, driving up costs significantly. In early October, the price for containers surged by up to 400 dollars, with an anticipated overall monthly increase of 10 percent, potentially raising the cost by as much as 850 dollars per container.
Moreover, the congestion has extended to the railways, with delays affecting trains from China to Russia. European trade has been prioritized, resulting in containers being held up for weeks. Zabaikalsk, in the eastern region, has been particularly impacted, with trains stalled and containers waiting up to three weeks for reloading. The irregular delivery of wagons from the Russian side has been identified as a primary cause of these delays. Although there has been some improvement, the situation has yet to normalize fully.
In addition to container congestion, Russia's Far East is dealing with an excess of empty open wagons left behind after coal shipments to China. To address both issues, Russia is utilizing these wagons for container transport, offering discounts on combined open wagon-container transportation through Russian Railways to encourage this practice.
Source: Rail Freight