A new stage of river transportation development may begin on the Amur River due to the connection of Chinese transit. Experts note that the potential for growth here is significant, especially given the plans to create routes connecting the Chinese port of Manjit and the Russian ports of Nikolaevsk-on-Amur with access to the Pacific Ocean.
Historically, the largest volume of cargo transportation along the Amur River was recorded in 1985, when about 32 million tons of cargo were transported. However, since then, the indicators have been gradually decreasing. In 2021, the volume of shipments was 4.1 million tons, and in 2024 it was almost halved. One of the reasons was the introduction of export duties on the export of timber, as well as the launch of new bridge crossings across the border with China. The situation was also affected by the deterioration of the fleet: the average age of ships in the Amur basin exceeds 40 years, and only a small part meets modern requirements.
Today, there are about 460 fleet units in the basin, but only 248 are actually involved. At the same time, only 9% of the vessels are in the standard operating life. The lack of developed capacities for the construction of new river vessels also complicates the situation. This makes operation expensive and reduces the attractiveness of transportation.
At the same time, experts identify several areas that can revitalize cargo flows. Among them are mining projects in the Khabarovsk Territory, gas processing enterprises in the Amur Region and large construction projects in the region, such as the construction of a railway bridge near Komsomolsk—on-Amur. Cooperation with China is of particular interest: multimodal river-sea schemes make it possible to attract cargo for subsequent transit through the Tatar Strait and further to Asian ports. It is estimated that this could increase the volume of shipments to 4.5–7.5 million tons annually.
However, this requires solving a number of problems. Investments are required in the construction of new ships, modernization of port infrastructure and dredging. For 7 thousand km of the Amur River and its tributaries, full-fledged navigation is possible only for 2 thousand km. At the mouth, the depth reaches a maximum of 1.7 m, which limits the possibility of transporting large shipments.
According to experts, the prospects of river transport directly depend on government support. The creation of preferential regimes for shipbuilding and the development of border infrastructure can attract new cargo flows. The Chinese partners estimate the potential volume of transportation along the Amur River at 20 million tons per year with the creation of modern checkpoints and transshipment terminals. If such projects are implemented, river logistics will be able to partially relieve the burden on railways and become a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional modes of transport.
