Russia Launches Shipping Service Between Novorossiysk and Mombasa

Russia’s FESCO Transportation Group has established a marine container service between Novorossiysk and the Kenyan port of Mombasa on the East African coast. The first consignment of FESCO containers is already being loaded in Mombasa to ship Kenyan tea to Russia. The overall transit time between Mombasa and Novorossiysk is around 43 days.

The bulk of the export cargo traffic from Russia comprises construction materials, fertilizer, metals, polymers, wood products, and paper and pulp, with tea, coffee, nuts and other agricultural products comprising the bulk of import traffic.

The Russian export cargo will also pass through India’s Mundra port, near Mumbai, with FESCO vessels servicing the FESCO Indian Line West (FIL-W) marine line between India and Novorossiysk visiting the port regularly. Containers with exports are shipped on the feeder vessels of a FESCO partner from Mundra to Mombasa.

Imported cargo will in turn be shipped from Kenya to Russia via the port of Jebel Ali, the United Arab Emirates, where FESCO container ships have also been making regular calls as part of the FIL-W line since autumn this year, after which they proceed directly to Novorossiysk.