Over 9 months of 2024, roundwood and sawn timber transportation by railway reduced by 3%

According to TransLes Analytics Center, the total volume of roundwood and sawn timber transportation by railway in Russia (including container transport) reduced by 3% YoY in January–September 2024, down to 21.9 million t.

Over the reporting period, domestic transportation of unprocessed timber for subsequent processing at Russian enterprises increased by 2% YoY, up to 12.6 million t. Nevertheless, analysts report the first concerning signs in this segment: in Q3 2024, loading reduced by 2% compared to Q3 2023.

Export roundwood and sawn timber transportation by railway dropped by 11% YoY over 9 months of 2024, down to 8.5 million t. Sawn timber transportation reduced by 9% YoY, down to 7.3 million t. The key recipients were China (5.3 million t, -11% YoY), Uzbekistan (0.6 million t, -18% YoY), Azerbaijan and Iran (0.33 million t, -5% YoY), and Japan (0.2 million t, +11% YoY). Roundwood export lowered by 18% YoY, down to 1.2 million t. Most of it was shipped to China (0.9 million t, -25% YoY), Belarus (0.16 million t, +23% YoY), and Kazakhstan (0.13 million t, -4% YoY).

The Analytics Center believes that the decline in export shipments is caused, among other reasons, by infrastructure-related restrictions in the eastward direction, leading to a slower railcar turnover. The trend of turnover slowdown is reported in other areas too. This makes consignors switch to other modes of transportation where possible, specifically in Central Asia and Azerbaijan.