SIMIC

Shipments by train in April 2022 totalled 512,100 TEU, a six per cent decrease from April 2021.

It was the first month-to-month decline since January 2016, when shipments totalled 495,000 TEU, Vedomosti reported, citing the Moscow-based Institute of Natural Monopolies Research (IPEM).

Industry experts linked the drop to disruptions in export supply chains from unprecedented western sanctions imposed on Russia as punishment for its invasion of Ukraine.

China's Covid lockdown compounded the challenge by limiting Russia's ability to find alternative supplies, Mikhail Burmistrov, head of the market research group Infoline-Analytics, told Vedomosti.Categories including structural steel, cars and engines saw train shipments drop by 13 to 47 per cent.

State monopoly Russian Railways, whose data IPEM's research is based on, disclosed cumulative railway container transportation figures for January-April which saw six per cent growth to 2.2 million TEU.

IPEM's deputy director Vladimir Savchuk said imports accounted for 30 per cent growth and domestic transportation for eight per cent during that period, while transit and exports decreased by four per cent and two per cent respectively.