Norway’s Partner Shipping has made its first delivery of vehicles to St Petersburg from the Port of Malmö in Sweden. The main bulk of the 850-unit cargo aboard the M/V Gran Canaria Car was made up of Toyota’s Land Cruiser, which continues to be popular in Russia.
The company is making a second shipment on the same leg but will be operating on a non-contractual spot basis as it assesses the market. “The clear intention is to continue spot movements for the rest of the year in the North Continent/Baltic area,” Commercial Director, Helge Helvik told Automotive Logistics. “The main challenge is how sales will develop there, mainly due to clear indications that the Russian market is also slowing down.”
Loading operations at Malmö were handled by Partner Shipping’s newly appointed agent Lindholm Shipping and supported at the Port of St Petersburg by the company’s established operator Inflot.
The slowdown in car sales in Western Europe, which is now beginning to be felt in Russia, is prompting logistics providers to offer additional storage options for carmakers. Partner Shipping has secured large areas in both the Baltic region and on the Continent.
The company, which began operations in July, currently focuses on European short-sea car carrier services for the automotive industry.