Russia's Vladiovstok Container Growth Outpaces Rivals

Russia’s port of Vladivostok grew container traffic 27 percent in 2011 from a year ago, boosting the Far Eastern gateway’s share of Russian container shipments at the expense of its flat lining Baltic rivals.

The port’s traffic increase, to 432,062 20-foot equivalent units, contrasted with 1.2 percent growth at St. Petersburg’s First Container Terminal, Russia’s largest container facility, which handled 1.31 million TEUs in 2011. The port of Vladivostok, owned by Fesco, operator of Russia’s largest ocean carrier, boosted the number of container block trains to 299 last year from 158 in 2010.

Overall traffic totaled 6.3 million metric tons, with bulk, liquid, timber and other general cargo accounting for 3.1 million tons.

Fesco secured a $135 million seven-year loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in November to finance an upgrade of container facilities to keep pace with growth in Russian trade with the Asia-Pacific region.

-- Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.