In November 2022, Sovfracht JSC will launch its marine cargo line Express between Saint-Petersburg and Kaliningrad. The Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot) registered the line on 7 October 2022. It will number three ice-class ships with cargo capacity of about 2.4 thousand tonnes each: Mekhanik Kotsov, Mekhanik Kraskovsky and Mekhanik Yartsev. Those ships are intended for transportation of general and bulk cargo, according to to Sovfracht.
The schedule foresses weekly calls at Great Port of Saint-Petersburg (Bronka terminal) and at the port of Kaliningrad (KMTP JSC). The line will operate under the programme on subsidizing transportation of goods covered by sanctions imposed on transit across Lithuania.
In September 2022, RF Government approved allocation of RUB 1.37 billion for subsidizing cargo shipping to Kaliningrad Region. By the end of the year, the scope of subsidized cargo shipping to/from Kaliningrad is expected to reach about 900 thousand tonnes. In October, the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency (Rosmorrechflot) approved the first two applications for budget subsidies, those of Sovfracht and Rosmorport. The second wave of applications is welcome until 23 October 2022.
Lithuania earlier notified Kaliningrad authorities about the ban on certain goods transit passing by railway through Lithuania to the Kaliningrad region effective from June 18. Although later EU allowed Russia to transit some sanctioned goods by rail transport to its exclave via the Europe, Kaliningrad Region Governor Anton Alikhanov used to declare readiness to strengthen Baltiysk – Ust-Luga ferry line.
Sovfracht JSC is a transport and logistics company established in 1929. The company offers services on marine and river transportation of cargo with its unique experience in transportation of oversize and overweight cargo, stevedoring, broker’s and freight forwarding services, ship agency and insurance of cargo, container transportation and railway transport, operation of storage facilities. In 2021, the company carried 25.9 thousand TEU, 37% more, year-on-year.
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