OREANDA-NEWS. August 08, 2008. In the first six months of 2008, foreign trade shipments by rail increased by 4.3% to 265.8 million tons compared to the same period last year, reported the press-centre of Russian Railways. 

The structure of export and import cargo flows changed, with exports through port stations up by 0.6% to 86.6 million tons, while exports passing through border stations decreased by 4.8% to 105.1 million tons. Imports through port stations increased by 22% to 7 million tons and through border stations by 26.9% to 49.9 million tonnes.

In addition, in the first 6 months of 2008, transit cargo rose by 31% to 17.2 million tons, with the main items being oil and grain, as well as ferrous metals and coal.

The main increase in volumes through border stations was recorded at Skangali (up 84.4%), Rudnya (up 24.7%), Posin (up 23.2%) and Buslovskaya (up 35.6%), and through port of Murmansk station ( up 6.5%) and Vysotsk (up 7%).

The increase in volumes was due to higher consumption of oil, coal and fertilizers in Europe.
Increased traffic through the port station of Krabovaya (up 70.5%) and Cape Astafijeva (up 32.5%) resulted from increased consumption of oil and ferrous metals by countries in the Asia-Pacific region.