Automobile component of automobile-railway ferry complex in Ust-Luga port (Leningrad region) and multipurpose transloading complex Yug-2 are to be integrated under unified management. Yug-2 is to undergo diversification of cargoes

The finish of Volvo Ocean Race was held in St. Petersburg. It is the first time for the city to host such a prestigious Race

Three projects for construction of superyards capable of building ships with cargo capacity exceeding 100,000 tonnes have been simultaneously announced in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. Will the city or the region become a “New South Korea” in the segment of supership construction and will S.Korean shipbuilders contribute to it?

In the 5-month period of 2009, throughput of Russian seaports increased by 5.3% to 193.4 million tonnes while loading at Russian railways fell by 24.9% to 428 million tonnes

XIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum returned representatives of large transport companies to the discussion of a necessity to integrate different types of transport into one logistics system. Will such plans result in creation of yet another state corporation in Russia?

Despite general economic decline and considerable fall of cargo traffic, throughput of Ventspils Free Port decreased by only 3% in the first quarter of 2009. It proved to be possible only owing to implementation of a number of new stevedoring projects in the port and intensive attraction of extra cargo flows

At least 3-4 additional icebreakers are needed for the operation in the Russian part of the Gulf of Finland. However major owner of diesel icebreakers RosMorPort FSUE is not in a hurry to place new orders due to unfavorable economic circumstances

Russian government prepares temporary abolition of property tax for transport infrastructure organizations operating both new facilities and those under reconstruction. The state supposes that “having let off the leash” of transport organizations it ensures inflow of investments in creation of infrastructure facilities even amid the economic crisis

Russia’s southern ports have a fairly good potential for growth and demonstrate throughput increase even amid crisis. Investments into port infrastructure of Russia’s southern territories are also of a strategic importance for the Russian Federation. Meanwhile, attracting of investments into the development of ports in the Krasnodar Territory is an extremely slow process unlike that in Ukraine

Despite pessimistic forecasts of foreign trade decline the maritime shipping market has a potential for growth mainly due to the demand of China for dry cargo import