Home

Transit Price

By Ulyana Vylegzhanina

Railway officials of Russia, Belarus and Lithuania discussed tariff policy.

 

Delivery of railway cargos into the ports of Kaliningrad region is 30% more expensive than comparable transit into the ports of other regions of North-West of Russia.

 

Price discrepancy, because of which Kaliningrad sea gates are losing clients, occurs due to unequal railway tariffs. The cargo going from a “big Russia” to the exclave lies along the railway of Belarus and Lithuania. And the prices of neighbors in some cases are two-three times higher than the offers of Kaliningrad railway.

 

The problem of “price scissors” was discussed by the experts from the very western Russian region, Belarus and Lithuania within the frameworks of the V Baltic Transport Forum, the organizers of which was an event-operator "ICF-International Conferences". As the Head of Kaliningrad railway Sergey Kolomeyets noted the share of transit tariffs in the cost of transportation of cargos along Belarusian part of the railway on the average reaches 24 percent, along Lithuanian part – 20 percent.

 

- I’ll give a definite example. In case of transportation of petroleum from the station Surgut to the station Kaliningrad 6 percent of the way lies along the territory of Lithuania. By this the share of Lithuanian railway in a through rate of transportation reaches 54 percent, - shares information Sergey Kolomeyets. – Belarus captures 11 percent of the way, and the share of Belarusian railway in the tariff comprises 13 percent.

 

In January-August last year the scope of cargos, transported by Kaliningrad affiliate of the Russian Railway reduced in comparison with the same period of 2001 by 15 percent (from 10.43 million to 8.82 million tons). The first eight months of 2013 showed growth of cargo traffic by 6.2 percent. However, the capacities of Kaliningrad railway transporters are still loaded only for 50-60 percent.

 

- If we wish to maintain and increase the scope of transit transportations Lithuanian and Belarusian colleagues will have to revise the tariff conditions on main categories of cargoes at Kaliningrad direction, - noted Sergey Kolomeyets.

 

The representatives of railways of Belarus and Lithuania have stated their readiness to lead a dialogue. According to the Head of the service of freight operation and foreign economic activity of Belarusian railway Igor Zgurski, the share of shipments of Russian and Kazakhstani foreign trade cargos to Kaliningrad region exceeds 40 percent in the total scope of Belarusian railway transit.

 

- Kaliningrad direction is of special importance for us, - reported Igor Zgurski. – Now we are cooperating to optimize tariffs.

 

As the deputy General Director of Lithuanian railway Stasis Gudvalis underlined rebates are already implemented for 19 types of cargos in Lithuania going to Kaliningrad region. In particular we are talking about fuel and agricultural products.

 

- And if earlier tariffs on shipment of goods in the direction of Klaipeda port were lower, than in Kaliningrad direction than at the moment the cost of shipments is equal, - added Stasis Gudvalis. – We are ready to cooperate and discuss special conditions of transit with any client.

 

Comment

 

Aleksander Rolbinov, Vice Chairman of the Government of Kaliningrad region: Another problem due to which Kaliningrad railway is not able to operate on full capacity is connected with obligatory procedure of customs transit for railway cargos going by ferry vessel from Kaliningrad port into the port of Ust-Lug in Leningrad region. Now cargos, heading from one Russian city to another Russian city by ship under Russian flag, are subjected to customs procedures twice. We discussed this problem with the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation within the frameworks of the working group on the problems of development of transport complex in Kaliningrad region. I hope, we’ll manage to solve it in near future. As for tariff conditions of Belarus and Lithuania, we can say that this matter also involves economy and policy. On the one hand it is dissatisfaction of Lithuania about formation of tariff policy of Russia. On the other hand, there are our counter-claims and problems. It is quite a complicated issue, and we also involve the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation into the process of its regulation.

 

Translated from RG.ru

 

13.09.2013