Russia's container market climbs 7.1% in first half of 2026

Russia's container market rose 7.1 percent year on year to 3.8 million TEU in the first half of 2026, according to research citing data from a major Russian logistics group, with volumes slightly exceeding the record levels recorded in 2024. June alone reached 668,000 TEU, the highest monthly figure in fifteen years and up 19 percent from the same month in 2025.

Imports drove much of the growth. Far Eastern ports handled 621,000 TEU, an increase of 38 percent, while Kaliningrad's ports saw import volumes double to 37,000 TEU. Land border crossings with Asia accounted for 361,000 TEU, up 25 percent, reflecting the continued importance of overland routes alongside seaborne trade as Russia's container logistics network adapts to shifting trade patterns.

Coastal shipping services between Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad added 108,000 TEU, a rise of 71 percent, underscoring the growing role of domestic coastal links in moving cargo between Russia's Baltic exclave and the rest of the country. Transit cargo also expanded, reaching 486,000 TEU, up 13 percent, while exports held broadly stable at 992,000 TEU.

Domestic shipments told a different story, falling 2.7 percent to 593,000 TEU, suggesting that growth in the market has been concentrated in cross-border trade rather than internal distribution. A separate estimate from a shipping group affiliated with Russia's state nuclear operator put the market at a slightly lower 3.47 million TEU for the same January-to-June period, an increase of 6 percent year on year, reflecting differences in how the two organisations measure volumes.

Together, the figures point to a container market that has continued expanding despite years of sanctions pressure and shifting trade routes, with growth increasingly concentrated on Far Eastern gateways and overland connections to Asia rather than on traditional Baltic and Black Sea corridors.