World trade statistics

From January to August 2024, Russian Railways transported 117 million tons of cargo with China, an 8.7% increase from the previous year. Sergey Pavlov, First Deputy Head of Russian Railways, announced this during the "New Geography of Logistics through the Far East" session at the Eastern Economic Forum.

"Given the rapid growth in transportation between our countries, we have agreed with Chinese Railways to implement full electronic document management for transportation documents by the end of this year," said Sergey Pavlov.

The session primarily focused on the necessity of implementing electronic document management to enhance international trade. Currently, one must process up to 150 documents for importing and exporting goods, with 80-90% of the information in these documents being duplicated. This will be resolved by creating a single interaction window. It will enter a test phase by the end of the year with plans to launch commercial operations by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

Sun Tianshu, founder and chairman of the Chinese company QIFA, voiced his concerns that exporting goods to Russia requires numerous documents from both Russian and Chinese authorities. The Chinese businessman noted that "while progress has been made and the number of such documents is decreasing, more work is needed to strengthen efforts". He expressed hope that the Russian digital system could reduce the required number of documents to one.

The session was also attended by Indian Ambassador to the Russian Federation Vinay Kumar. He stated that digitalization efforts in logistics are ongoing, particularly regarding the international North-South transport corridor.

"Digital tools and the digitalization of the transport network enhance cargo movement efficiency. This is particularly crucial for multimodal routes. "This may alter the structure of our transport networks," said Vinay Kumar. He also noted the importance of aligning regulatory norms and regulations in this area within both the BRICS framework and bilateral relations.