The cost of cargo transportation in the Asian direction is decreasing for all types of transport. Experts interviewed by Forbes believe that this trend may last at least until March.
This situation plays into the hands of importers, but the shipping companies themselves are incurring losses
From November last year to February 2025, rates for transportation by direct trains and road transport from China to Russia fell by 30%, by sea vessels from China to the ports of the Far East – by 20%, calculated Oleg Poluektov, Director of Logistics at ModernWay. “At the end of last year, there was no peak demand for cargo delivery (high season), usually typical for December,” he clarifies. “With reduced demand, rail, sea and road carriers were forced to reduce prices in order to maintain the flow of goods.”
Logisticians interviewed by Forbes note a decrease in the cost of transportation in various directions and types of cargo. Due to recent changes in exchange rates and the strengthening of the ruble, tariffs for Russian customers in general for international transportation after conversion are becoming lower.
But market participants note a particularly noticeable reduction in tariffs in the Asian direction. “The cost of transporting containers from China to Russia both by sea and by rail has fallen by 30-35% since the beginning of 2025,” says Vladimir Gamazkov, head of the logistics department at Shuttle Logistic.
