Rolf Group’s supply chain and logistics business, Rolf SCS, has established a new logistics route into Russia from the Far East, at Nakhodka Marine Commercial Port and is supporting it with an auto facility at the Vostochny International Terminal.
The port is situated in Primorsky Krai, 85km east of Vladivostok, and the new route is said to shorten delivery time of vehicles to eastern Russia by half. Most vehicle imports to Russia go via Moscow and St Petersburg and are delivered east by truck.
“Normally it takes around 40 days Japan to Kotka, Finland, and then around two weeks from Kotka to Eastern Russia,” Rolf spokesman Xander Heijnin told Automotive Logistics. “It now takes just four days from Japan to Eastern Russia.”
The company is working on the new route, which will also rely on truck deliveries, with long-term partner and Russian transport provider N-Trans (formerly ZAO SeverstalTrans).
“This alternative point of entry guarantees Rolf SCS and its customers in Eastern Russia a high quality and well-managed entry into Russia with a considerably shortened delivery time,” said Marc Brenneiser, another Rolf SCS spokesman.
A large number of used vehicles from Japan and Korea have traditionally entered Russia from the Far East, at a terminal in Vladivostock. Earlier this year that city saw protest and unrest following Russia’s decision to raise import duties for new and used cars.
Rolf says the terminal could handle 10,000 vehicles in 2009 though current estimates released week by the Russian government suggest demand for new cars in Russia could be down as much as 60% versus last year.
The first delivery to the new terminal consisted of 300 Mitsubishi vehicles. Earlier in March Rolf extended its distribution agreement with Mitsubishi to import cars into Russia by another five years but it has stopped selling Peugeot vehicles in the country following a reported slump in demand.
Last week the company also announced that it was halting the expansion of its dealer network in Russia and shelving plans for a merger with Finnish logistics company Avelon Group. Read more here
