OREANDA-NEWS  Cargo transportation from China has risen sharply due to an acute shortage of containers. The shortage of empty containers in the country is explained by a number of problems, with reference to industry representatives, Kommersant reports.

Spot rates for container shipping have doubled since the beginning of the year. In May, they rose in price by 50 percent, and market participants expect further price increases. This situation has developed due to the conflict in the Red Sea: attacks by the Yemeni Houthis force ships to bypass the Cape of Good Hope, and the lengthening of flights has led to an increase in the number of containers in transit, explained the head of Trans Synergy (part of the ESP) Stanislav Stankevich.

During the penultimate week of May, most shipping lines raised the rate on container shipping by 15-30 percent, the situation is similar in railway transportation. The latter are becoming more expensive due to a general shortage of equipment and in connection with the reduction of plans for Chinese stations to send direct trains to Russia, added Yulia Shlenskaya, president of KBT customs and logistics broker. Another reason for the rise in the cost of railway imports is the increase in the rate on the railway tariff from Kazakhstan by $ 430-500, explained Sergey Safoninkov, Operating director of the Asian direction of PEC: Global.