Experts warn of negative consequences of higher transport tariffs for metallurgy

According to Viktor Kovshevny, general director of the analytical center Rusmet, the expected increase in transport tariffs of Russian Railways will lead to bankruptcy of 40 mining, scrap procurement and coal enterprises, and 30 enterprises will be on the brink of survival, which will have a significant negative impact on such a segment of the economy as metallurgy.

The analysis of Rusmet center experts shows that this situation is due to the planned 10% indexation of prices for the transportation of various goods, including rolled metal and metallurgical raw materials, by rail. In addition, the technical regulations of the Customs Union, which entered into force in early August (which canceled the possibility of extending the operating time of freight cars, introduced payment for using the railway on the actual, not the shortest route, and also canceled the special conditions for concluding contracts between shippers and Russian Railways) led to sad consequences: a number of enterprises in the Kemerovo region and Karelia have already been closed.

This reaction is due to the fact that today the railway is the only acceptable mode of transport. Thus, the share of the cost of transportation by rail in the cost of production in the metallurgical industry, scrap collection industry is 30%, and for coal enterprises it reaches almost 50%. Therefore, many enterprises are looking for alternative ways of transporting goods, for example, road transport or reducing the distance over which the goods will be delivered.

Therefore, the expected economic effect of Russian Railways from 10% of the indexation of tariffs for railway transportation is rather doubtful - the cost of production of rolled metal can significantly increase, which will lead to a decrease in the volume of transportation using the railway.