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The container market in Russia grew by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2026

According to analysts from the Delo Group, the Russian container market grew by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 1.8 million TEU compared to the same period in 2025.

Container shipments in the import direction increased by 5.1%, reaching 720,000 TEU. The main growth was driven by consumer goods: footwear, furniture, household appliances, and tableware. In the automotive sector, the import of finished vehicles, which accounted for up to 20% of total imports in 2024, has been showing a decline since the beginning of 2026, in favor of a significant increase in the supply of components for car assembly within the Russian Federation. Container exports, under pressure from the strong ruble exchange rate, decreased by 3.5% in January–March, reaching 484,000 TEU.

Among the factors influencing the dynamics and structure of the market, the key one is the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. As a result, the deterioration in service quality and the rise in rates for international maritime transport from Asia to Europe may stimulate transit traffic through Russia, which increased by 11% in Q1, reaching 223,000 TEU.

Overall, Russia’s container market is showing moderate recovery after the 2025 downturn, but risks of a slowdown in dynamics remain amid the overall instability of the global economy.

The methodology for calculating the Russian container market by Delo Group takes into account loaded container shipments in foreign trade traffic via Russian ports and land border crossings, as well as transit and intra‑Russian rail and sea shipments.

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