The introduction of long-term contracts with mutual financial responsibility on the «ship-or-pay» principle between container operators and transport and logistics centers (TLCs) will be worked out by the Ministry of Transport.
The «Ship-or-pay» scheme implies that the carrier is obliged to transport a certain volume of the client's cargo, and the client in any case, even when not providing cargo for shipment.
This instruction was given by First Deputy Prime Minister Andrey Belousov on the initiative of the former top manager of Russian Railways and founder of Fininvest Group Alexander Kakhidze. In his address to the deputy prime minister, he pointed out the risks to the profitability of projects for creating a network of TLCs in Russia due to worsening macroeconomic conditions.
The press service of Russian Railways reported that they support the introduction of long-term contracts under the «ship-or-pay» scheme. A company representative noted that specific mechanisms are being worked out and legislative changes are required.
The idea of creating a «ship-or-pay» mechanism on the railway has been discussed for several years. It was assumed that from 2022 to 2024, only those who send Kuzbass coal eastward for export would be able to conclude such agreements. However, in May 2023, the Russian government withdrew the bill on the regulatory framework for introducing «ship-or-pay» agreements on the railway.
According to forecasts, the container freight market in Russia in 2024 will grow in physical terms by 5–10% compared to 2023. Russian Railways expects container traffic to continue to grow in 2024, without specifying specific figures. This will be facilitated by the development of a network of specialized terminals and sites, container transportation technology in gondola cars, the opening of a new border crossing with the PRC (NizhneLENinskoye–Tongjiang), and other solutions.