Japanese industrial giant seeks link with Russia through Baltic ports

TALLINN - Japanese industrial giant Mitsubishi is choosing whether to send its cargo flow to Russia via Tallinn or Riga port, LETA/Eesti Paevaleht writes.

Mitsubishi, that will triple its production capacity in the Kaluga oblast in Russia, will decide at the end of January or at the beginning of February whether to transport car parts via the Muuga CT container terminal in the Port of Tallinn. Estonians hope they will be chosen thanks to the major purchase of electrical cars the state made from Japan at the end of last year.

Muuga CT would get nearly 30,000 TEU of extra cargo flows a year, which corresponds to its current two-month cargo volume.

"Our container train to Moscow already works very well and if compared to the Riga port we can transport goods to Kaluga much faster," said Muuga CTmanager Erik Laidvee.

The route via Riga would be somewhat shorter but the Port of Tallinn hopes that Estonian logistics can make a better offer.