Russia to expand railways

Russia has sent its first 12,000-tonne grain shipment from the new Lugaport terminal in Ust-Luga, aiming to boost exports via the Baltic Sea.

Russia plans to double the Lavna port’s rail capacity from 18 to 36-41 million tonnes annually, aiming to diversify trade routes and boost coal exports.

Russia’s vice-premier Marat Khusnulin anticipates that Mariupol alone could handle as much as 1 million tons per annum of various cargoes in 2024.

Possible losses to the Latvian economy in the case of the manganese ore ban are estimated at several million in port fees and more than EUR 10M for the railway.

“There is a shortage of seaport handling capacities in Russia. The problem has become especially pressing after we lost access to the Finnish and Baltic ports”

Five CEE signatories emphasize that the war against Ukraine has been financed from, among other things, Moscow’s revenues for its grain exports to the EU.