Crimean Sea Ports have broken the loss record from 2014. The revenues have decreased due to launching of the Crimea Bridge, lack of cargo at the ports and leasing out of Kerch ferry service which could ensure additional RUB 300-400 million of revenues per year if used by the company. The Ministry of Transport of Crimea has developed a plan on ‘financial recovery’ of seaports revealing no details though.

St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2019 proved to be replete with news in shipping and stevedoring spheres. Most of agreements relate to the Arctic and Baltic basins which is no wonder given the fast pace of Arctic fields development and deficit of dry bulk transshipment facilities.

Fitch has recently upgraded the rating of Russian shipping company Sovcomflot (SCF) to 'BB+' with Stable Outlook. The upgrade reflects SCF's improved business profile due to an expansion in industrial business.

For almost two centuries, the port of Novorossiysk has been a personification of national maritime industry’s power. On the day of 180th anniversary of Novorossiysk port’s Harbour Master Service, head of Black Sea Ports Administration Vladimir Yerygin answered the questions of IAA PortNews.

RF Government has approved the rules for collecting port investment dues at seaports of the Russian Federation. RF Ministry of Transport expects the new dues to cover the deficit of port infrastructure financing estimated at RUB 7-8 billion per year.

The draft plan for the development of the Northern Sea Route infrastructure till 2035 foresees the establishment of a unified container shipping operator and a national dredging company, construction of three nuclear-powered icebreakers of the Leader series and a refinery in the Murmansk Region as well as other measures. The Northern Sea Route is to become an all-year-round sea way. The plan can also include the requirement on using LNG as a marine fuel.

Yury Kostin, Director of the State Policy Department for Maritime and River Transport of the Russian Transport Ministry, tells IAA PortNews about legislative changes related to stevedoring and shipping activities.

Extensive plans of Russia’s fishery industry include the construction of new fishing, research and cargo ships as well as catching of new products and research of the global ocean opportunities. Peotr Savchuk, deputy head of Rosrybolovstvo (Russian Federal Fisheries Agency) tell about it in his interview with IAA PortNews.

Black Sea ports demonstrated a positive dynamics of container turnover in 2018. Novorossiysk slowed down its growth rates after a breakthrough of 2017 but continues containerization of more cargoes ensuring a higher flexibility for cargo owners and shippers. When speaking at the XV International Transport Forum YugTrans 2019, Aleksey Garmash, General Director of Novomorsnab LLC, told about the key trends in this segment.

The long-running dispute between inland shipping community and Russian Railways (RZD) over discounts during river navigation periods has entered a new phase. Oleg Belozerov believes the industry should decide on whether the country needs this “inefficient fleet”, with no guideline at hand for acceptable balance between the modes.