The company expanded export freight by 2% and transit freight by 10%, whereas the volume of import freight remained at 2004 levels.
Export freight to third countries exceeded 224 million tons in January-September 2005, including about 179 million tons of cargo transported via sea and river ports in Russia, the CIS, and the Baltic countries, up 1% year-on-year.
Freight to foreign ports fell, whereas the volume of cargo delivered to Russian ports grew in the first nine months of 2005.
"The volume of export freight transported to Russian ports grew 3% year-on-year, whereas export freight shipped via Ukrainian ports fell by 14%. The volume of export freight shipped through ports in the Baltic countries remained at previous levels," the news release said.
"The amount of export freight transported via the ports of the North-Western basin grew 11% and via the ports of the North Caucasus, 9%. Export freight via the ports of the Russian Far East fell by 9%," the company said.
