[ Korea/Russia container cargo traffic grows 14.5% in 1st quarter ]

Container cargo traffic between Korea and Russia stood at 10,598 TEUs
in the first quarter of the year, up 14.5 percent from the same period
last year, the Korea Maritime and Port Administration said recently.
Container cargo volume on the only existing Korea-Russia liner route l
inking Pusan to Vostochny reached 37,905 TEUs last year, representing
a rise of 30.3 percent from the previous year.
Since the opening of their respective trade respective offices in 1989
, the two countries saw their container cargo traffic growing 7.2 perc
ent in 1990, 28.7 percent in 1991 and 13.6 percent in 1992.
Two-way container volume through direct trade stood at 25,253 TEUs las
t year, compared with 15,847 TEUs the previous year.
Container cargo volume bound for Europe via the Trans-Siberian Railroa
d(TSR), however, amounted to 12,705 TEUs last year, down 4.4 percent f
rom 1992.
Korea-Soviet Shipping Co. and Far East Shipping Co.(FESCO) have put th
eir respective 430 TEU and 320 TEU container vessels on the Pusan-Vost
ochny liner route, which opened in July 1991.
To meet growing demend for container cargo volume, two shipping compai
nes recently replace their ships with 440 TEU and 430 TEU container ve
ssels.
Container cargo traffic is expected to surge following President Kim Y
oung-sam’s visit to Russia, according to maritime experts.