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Russia’s Container Market Grew by 7.1% in the First Half of 2026

According to analysts at the Delo Group, Russia’s container market grew by 7.1% in the first half of 2026, reaching 3.8 million TEU compared with the same period of 2025*.

Container traffic in the first six months of 2026 slightly exceeded the results of the record-setting year 2024. In June, throughput reached 668,000 TEU, the highest monthly volume recorded in the past 15 years and 19% higher than in June 2025.

The primary driver of market growth in the first half of the year was imports. The strongest growth was recorded at Far Eastern ports, where import volumes increased by 38% to 621,000 TEU. Imports through Kaliningrad ports doubled to 37,000 TEU, while imports via land border crossings with Asian countries rose by 25% to 361,000 TEU.

An additional growth factor was the expansion of coastal shipping on the St. Petersburg-Kaliningrad route, where volumes increased by 71% to 108,000 TEU.

Transit container traffic through Russia continued to grow, reaching 486,000 TEU, up 13% year-on-year. Container exports remained broadly stable at 992,000 TEU, while domestic rail container transportation declined by 2.7% to 593,000 TEU.

Overall, the market is showing a transition from steady growth to a more cyclical pattern characterized by increased volatility, with periods of decline expected to alternate with periods of growth. < Back to list