Fees for transporting a 40-foot container from China’s main ports to Moscow by rail have fallen notably over the past couple of years. In 2021, the tariff stood at roughly $12,000 to $13,000, and by early 2023 it had declined to about $8,000 to $9,000 according to coverage in Kommersant, which cites the assessment of the international carrier ModernWay. In the months that followed, rates moved even lower. By May, industry sources indicated that tariffs were down to roughly $6,000 to $6.5 thousand, reflecting continued downward pressure on rail freight prices. The latest figures show further reductions, with tariffs ranging from about $6.5 thousand to $7 thousand, varying by route, origin port, and the specific transport conditions involved. These declines have been confirmed by several logistics professionals who monitor cross-border rail traffic between China and Russia, including the railway transportation teams within major logistics firms.
Industry representatives described the drivers behind the cost easing. Nikolai Olshansky, chief executive of a prominent transport company, pointed to a combination of market dynamics and competitive pressure helping to push rates down in the spring. Another expert, Alesya Kuveko, who leads the railway transportation department at a major logistics provider, noted that the price arc this year has moved lower as volumes from China recover unevenly and as carriers optimize routes and service levels. A third perspective comes from Dmitry Sukhoversha of a multinational logistics group who attributes the cooling of costs to a drop in overall shipment volumes after the Chinese New Year and the introduction of new long-distance ocean services from China, including deeper sea options that connect port hubs like St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk with origin ports in China. These shifts reflect broader changes in supply chain arrangements and the rebalancing of modal mix amid evolving maritime and rail networks. In related commentary, reports indicate that unusually hot weather across Asia has, at times, influenced fuel supplies and energy costs in the region, which can indirectly affect transport pricing and capacity dynamics. The overall trend for Canada and the United States markets observing these routes is a softer price environment for rail shipments from China to Russia, with continued sensitivity to seasonality, demand, and service innovations across both rail and sea corridors. (Kommersant, citing ModernWay; market observers)