Transshipment of Russia’s foreign trade cargo via the ports of the Baltic states and Ukraine in the first half of this year fell by 7.5% to 22.2 million tonnes. Their share has decreased from 6.51% in HI’2017 to 5.88% in HI’2018. High dependence is still observed in the segment of dry bulk cargo while the development of required infrastructure has begun.

Large-scale plans on renovation of the fishing fleet require additional measures of state support. Russian Federal Fisheries Agency suggests compensating 25% of total newbuilding costs while RF Ministry of Industry and Trade calls on applying the measures available today.

Basing on its cooperation with the Republic of Korea, China and Russia, Mongolia is entering the shipping market of the Asia Pacific Region both as an exporter and a carrier. Mr Tuvshintur Saranjav, Head of Mongolian Maritime Administration, Ministry of Road and Transport Development of Mongolia, tells IAA PortNews about this cooperation and near-term plans.

The Russian Government has submitted to the State Duma a draft law intended to develop cruise tourism in the Arctic zone and in the Far East of Russia, streamline the calls of foreign cruise ships in the mentioned regions. The industry experts believe that Arctic cruises have a good development potential but investments into infrastructure are needed.

Draft law on closed transshipment of dusty cargo in seaports has been recently submitted to the State Dгma of Russia. RF Government had not earlier approved the bill. Experts consider it to be excessive and politically motivated. They also believe it can stop coal exports from the country’s ports (some 154 million tonnes per year).

Throughput of Russian ports in the first half of 2018 grew by 2.7% but its growth rates have slowed as compared with the previous years. The growth was primarily driven by dry cargo that confirms the necessity to continue the development of related facilities.

New offshore transshipment equipment has been put into operation at the port of Shakhtersk for handling of Panamax and Capesize ships. That will let increase coal transshipment almost two-fold. Andrey Mekhanikov, Vice-President, Stevedoring and Shipping, East Mining Company Limited, tells IAA PortNews about this project.

Large scale upgrading of Russia’s fishing fleet needs new approaches, new rules and new technologies. Fishing ships of new design are more efficient and sophisticated which calls for modernization of classification rules.

Many recurrent problems in the segment of Russia’s water transport has started being successfully handled in the recent years but the industry faces more and more new challenges. Among the issues of today’s agenda is the surge of bunker fuel prices and absence of balance between different types of transport.

Russian market of bunkering services does not stand still: its structure is changing both in terms of bunker volumes sold in different basins and in terms of fuel types. The short term agenda is the following: upgrading of the bunkering fleet and creation of infrastructure for LNG bunkering.