DESPITE a 20 per cent fall in Russian imports in the last year, intermodal operator Ruscon increased its first quarter laden box volume 13 per cent year on year to 32,250 containers, reports Lloyd's Loading List.
Vladimir Bychkov, CEO of parent company Global Container Service (GCS), said higher volumes of imports also boosted its exports.
"Imports have fallen, but export demand has grown since the devaluation of the rouble and the fall in oil prices," said Mr Bychkov.
"So there is a shortage of empty containers for exports. Our strong position in the import market means we are able to access empty containers more easily and so build our market share," said Mr Bychkov.
Ruscon performed well in handling containers arriving at Russian Pacific ports, despite overall volumes at Vladivostok and Vostochniy falling by 20 per cent.
"We almost tripled our volumes on the Pacific route as a result of launching our own weekly, fixed-day block train between Moscow and Vostochniy in the second half of 2014," he said.
Most business is handled through the Black Sea Port of Novorossiysk. While box volumes fell by 14.5 per cent there, Ruscon increased its business to 22,989 boxes year on year.
St Petersburg's quarterly volumes fell 28.6 per cent because of plummeting oil prices as well as EU and US sanctions over the Ukraine. But again Ruscon managed to increase its business 1.4 per cent year on year.
The reason for success, said Mr Bychkov, is a well-balanced portfolio of customers, with nearly equal proportions of export and imports, as well as to strong relationships with the major customers and carriers.
"We offer cost-efficient and reliable services in the key gateways of Russia, as well as holding a strong position in the main segments of both Russian imports (retail, foods, electronics, automotive) and exports (wood & paper, agribulks and chemicals)," he said.
Ruscon, the multimodal subsidiary of GCS, is one of the leading transport operators in the Russian container industry, with 900 staff in 11 offices throughout Russia and the CIS, handling over 200,000 TEU a year.
Based on a combination of GCS-owned facilities and cooperation with leading international and Russian logistics providers, Ruscon manages cross-border and cross-continental product flows to and from Russia.
GCS has worked in the Russian container market since 1995. Beginning as a liner agency, today it is among the top 10 container transport companies in Russia and the CIS. GCS belongs to one of Russia's largest transport holding companies, Delo, which also owns several terminal assets in the port of Novorossiysk.
CONTAINER
15 June 2015 - 17:58
Ruscon box trade grows 13pc despite 20pc Russian import slump
DESPITE a 20 per cent fall in Russian imports in the last year, intermodal operator Ruscon increased its first quarter laden box volume 13 per cent year on year to 32,250 containers, reports Lloyd's Loading List.
CONTAINER
15 June 2015 - 17:58
Ruscon box trade grows 13pc despite 20pc Russian import slump
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