Hai Phong to Vladivostok shipping is a lane on which a carrier, FESCO, publishes its own direct container service. FESCO's Vietnam page describes a Vietnam Direct Line linking Vietnamese ports with the Commercial Port of Vladivostok without transshipment in other countries' ports, with containers then moving by rail or road inside Russia. This guide covers what that page says, the two ports, FCL and LCL, documents, costs and the sanctions checks to make first. It publishes no freight rates, attributes each sourced figure and is written for importers, exporters and buyers of international cargo transportation to Russia.
FESCO is named on EU and UK sanctions lists, so read the compliance section before requesting a quote. Vietnam's investment portal reports bilateral Vietnam-Russia trade of approximately USD 4.59 billion in 2024, up 26% on 2023.
Is Hai Phong to Vladivostok a Real Sea Route?
On the carrier's own evidence, yes, for Hai Phong to Russia sea freight, with caveats. FESCO's Vietnam page says its own vessels sail Vladivostok, Ho Chi Minh and Haiphong and back without transshipment in other countries' ports, with weekly departures, gives the service's transit time as "from 8 days" and publishes these times by leg:
| Leg | Transit time on FESCO's page |
|---|---|
| Haiphong to Vladivostok | 8 days |
| Vladivostok to Haiphong | 9 days |
| Ho Chi Minh to Vladivostok | 11 days |
| Vladivostok to Ho Chi Minh | 7 days |
These are the carrier's figures, not a promise of delivery, and the page does not say what they include, so ask about cut-off, customs, storage and any onward leg. They also change: Interfax reported at the May 2022 launch an 850 TEU ship and a transit of 9 to 12 days from Vietnamese ports. Ports Europe reported on 26 March 2026 Vietnam-assembled vehicles moving from Hai Phong to Vladivostok before onward rail to Kazakhstan.
Hai Phong and Vladivostok: What Each Port Handles
Hai Phong
Hai Phong cargo shipping includes deep-water berths at Lach Huyen. The Port of Hai Phong Joint Stock Company says Berths 3 and 4 were approved on 14 August 2025 for container vessels of up to 165,000 DWT (partially laden), and VietnamPlus reported an estimated 96 million tonnes handled by Hai Phong seaports in the first half of 2026, up 11.4%. Neither figure says which terminal FESCO uses: its page names neither its Hai Phong terminal nor its vessels, so for Hai Phong container shipping, ask which terminal will gate in your container.
Vladivostok
The Commercial Port of Vladivostok belongs to the FESCO group and handled more than 805,000 TEU in 2025, according to Ports Europe on 20 January 2026. FESCO says containers can leave it for any point in Russia by its rail and road services and lists container trains to Moscow, Novosibirsk and other cities. For the Free Port regime see Vladivostok Port: Russia's Far East Gateway for India Trade, and for the rail leg see Trans-Siberian Railway for India-Russia cargo.
Routes, Transshipment, FCL and LCL
FESCO's page shows three Vietnam routings for Russia:
| Route | How it works, per FESCO | Published transit | Departures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haiphong to Vladivostok, Vietnam Direct Line | Direct sea service, then rail or road in Russia | From 8 days | Weekly |
| Haiphong to St. Petersburg, Baltorient Line | Sea service, transshipment at Yantian, China | 40 days | 2 times a month |
| Hanoi to Moscow, Vietnam Shuttle | Through rail via China, internal customs transit | 35 days (table entry) | 3 times a month |
Compare door-to-door time, not just the sea leg, because the Vladivostok option adds a rail journey the page does not time. Other routings, such as feeder services through Chinese hubs, are unverified here.
FCL and LCL
FESCO lists container, general, refrigerated, oversized and LCL cargo, with dangerous and liquid cargo by agreement. Maersk's dry container sheet gives a payload of 28,800 kg for its 40-foot standard container, but carriers differ, so use the figures for the actual unit. For LCL, FESCO describes a separate groupage service to Moscow and St. Petersburg: almost all goods except dangerous and temperature-controlled cargo, from 1 t and 1 m3, deconsolidation at its Vladivostok warehouse and departures 2 times a month. Ask whether your LCL cargo can use the weekly direct line. See FCL vs LCL shipping.
Hai Phong Shipping Cost: What Drives the Price
No article can responsibly quote a Hai Phong to Vladivostok rate: it depends on the carrier's tariff, container, trade term, cargo and date. Ask for these lines separately: ocean freight, surcharges, Hai Phong origin charges, Vladivostok port and storage terms, Russian clearance, any rail or road beyond Vladivostok, and insurance. The ICC's Incoterms 2020 clarify the tasks, costs and risks of delivery between seller and buyer, which bears on who pays each line. All figures below are invented.
| Line (USD, invented) | Quote A | Quote B |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean freight, one 40 ft container | 1,000 | 1,150 |
| Origin charges at Hai Phong | 180 | Included |
| Vladivostok port and handling | 260 | Included |
| Total shown | 1,440 | 1,150 |
Quote B looks USD 290 lower (1,440 minus 1,150), but only if its price truly covers the origin and Vladivostok lines, and neither quote covers rail or road beyond Vladivostok. Ask for the same scope in writing, and see how to calculate the landed cost of imported goods.
Customs Clearance, Documents and Delivery Inside Russia
Documents
Vietnam's trade portal says the Vietnam-EAEU free trade agreement was signed on 29 May 2015 and took effect on 5 October 2016. Preferential origin is claimed with Form EAV; the EEC annex specimen calls for a hard copy in English with a handwritten signature and the authorised body's official seal.
| Stage | Documents | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial | Contract, invoice, packing list | See packing list vs commercial invoice |
| Transport | Bill of lading or other transport document | See bill of lading types |
| Origin | Form EAV, if claiming preference | Issued through an authorised agency |
| Russian import | Freight declaration; licences, conformity, origin and sanitary certificates where applicable | Source dated 2019 |
A 2019 summary by Dezan Shira and Associates, republished by the VCCI WTO centre, says an assigned manager of a Russian registered company can make the declaration, a customs broker can act in a company's name, and duties and taxes are paid with the declaration. Treat it as a question list, not current law.
Sea-to-rail and sea-to-road delivery
FESCO says containers go onward by its rail and road services and that its equipment can be ordered and returned at more than 50 locations. Before booking, ask:
- Is there one transport document, or two contracts?
- Who files customs documents at Vladivostok and pays storage?
- What are the cut-offs for the sailing and the connecting train?
- Who is liable for damage at each handover?
Cargo Safety, Insurance and a Hai Phong to Vladivostok Shipping Checklist
Pack and secure cargo for several lifts and a rail leg; the IMO, ILO and UNECE CTU Code is the code of practice for packing cargo transport units. Carrier liability and cargo insurance are different things: see cargo insurance for China-origin shipments and ask your insurer in writing whether the route, carrier and parties are covered.
- Screen the cargo, parties, banks and vessel against the sanctions rules that bind you.
- Confirm the schedule, rotation and Hai Phong terminal in writing.
- Agree the trade term and the scope of each quote.
- Prepare the invoice, packing list, contract and, if claiming preference, Form EAV.
- Settle the Russian broker, onward leg and Vladivostok storage.
- Insure on terms that name the route.
Sanctions, Trade Compliance and Carrier Restrictions
This lane is not a way around sanctions. Lawfulness depends on the parties, the goods and their content, the vessels and ports, the banks and insurers, and the shipper's own jurisdiction. This is not legal advice, and rules change.
The carrier is listed in the EU and UK
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2035 of 23 October 2025 adds FESCO to Annex I of Regulation (EU) No 269/2014, citing among its reasons that FESCO is one of Russia's largest transportation and logistics firms and State-controlled; we read the text via Lawplayer, and EUR-Lex prevails. Under Article 2, as compiled, funds of listed entities are frozen and none may be made available to them directly or indirectly. In the UK, a Financial Sanctions Notice of 19 May 2023 lists FESCO, designated on 18 May 2023, under an asset freeze and trust services sanctions because it operates in the transport sector, which the notice calls strategically significant to the Government of Russia. Check the UK Sanctions List for current status. We did not check US lists. Take written advice from sanctions counsel before any booking.
Export controls follow the goods
Section 746.8 of the Export Administration Regulations requires a licence for any item subject to the EAR and specified in a Commerce Control List ECCN going to or within Russia or Belarus, reviews those applications under a policy of denial with stated exceptions, and extends licensing to certain foreign-produced items under the foreign direct product rule. A Vietnamese manufacturer using US-origin technology or components should classify its product before quoting.
Carrier restrictions
Maersk's page on shipping to or from Russia answers "No" and says it has stopped all vessel operations in Russia; its policy page says violating shipments are returned to origin at the parties' cost and risk and that release may be withheld. Neither shows a current date in the text we read, so check each carrier's notices. Ask any provider of Vladivostok freight forwarding or Russia cargo shipping services to name the operating carrier, and treat a quote that does not as incomplete.
Work With RR Brothers and Logistics
RR Brothers and Logistics arranges sea freight, FCL and LCL, and customs clearance from its Guangzhou headquarters. We publish no Hai Phong to Vladivostok schedule or price and claim no office, licence or contract on this lane. Send us your commodity, HS code, trade term, origin and consignee and we will advise whether and how we can handle it, after the compliance checks above. Hai Phong to Vladivostok shipping changes by the month, so rely on a specific quotation.
Contact RR Brothers Logistics for international freight forwarding and customized shipping quotations. Request a quote or contact our team.
Frequently Asked Questions
FESCO's Vietnam page describes a Vietnam Direct Line to Vladivostok without transshipment in other countries' ports, with weekly departures. Confirm the current schedule and operating carrier in writing.
FESCO's page says transit is from 8 days and lists 8 days for Haiphong to Vladivostok; the 2022 launch quoted 9 to 12 days. It does not say what the time includes, so treat it as a carrier figure, not a promise.
No rate is published here: the price depends on tariff, container, trade term, cargo and date, so request line-by-line quotes.
FESCO lists LCL cargo and describes a groupage service from 1 t and 1 m3 to Moscow and St. Petersburg, departing 2 times a month, with deconsolidation in Vladivostok. Ask whether your cargo can use it.
Prepare the contract, invoice, packing list and transport document. Russian clearance may also need licences or certificates where applicable. Confirm current rules with a Russian customs broker.
It is the certificate of origin form under the Vietnam-EAEU free trade agreement, in force since 5 October 2016.
FESCO says containers go onward by its rail and road services and lists container trains to Moscow and Novosibirsk. Confirm departures, capacity and who files customs documents.
They can. The EU and UK list FESCO, US export controls can reach some goods, and carriers set their own Russia policies. Screen all parties and take written advice from sanctions counsel before booking.
Sources
- FESCO: Transportation between Vietnam and Russia
- Interfax: Fesco launches regular marine line from Vietnam to Russia (20 May 2022)
- Ports Europe: FESCO moves Vietnamese vehicles via Vladivostok port to Kazakhstan (26 March 2026)
- Ports Europe: Vladivostok Commercial Sea Port handled over 805,000 TEU in 2025 (20 January 2026)
- Port of Hai Phong JSC: Berths 3 and 4, Lach Huyen Terminal approved for vessels of up to 165,000 DWT (14 August 2025)
- VietnamPlus: Hai Phong ports record 11% rise in six-month cargo throughput (1 July 2026)
- Vietnam Trade Remedies and FTA portal: Vietnam-EAEU Free Trade Agreement
- Eurasian Economic Commission: EAEU-VN FTA Certificate of Origin Form EAV (Annex 5)
- Invest Vietnam: Expanding to Russia and Belarus, a strategic opportunity for Vietnamese exporters
- VCCI WTO Center, from Dezan Shira and Associates: Customs procedures for the import of goods into Russia (2019)
- Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/2035 of 23 October 2025, as reproduced by Lawplayer
- Regulation (EU) No 269/2014, compiled text, as reproduced by Lawplayer
- UK Financial Sanctions Notice, Russia, 19 May 2023
- eCFR: 15 CFR 746.8, Sanctions against Russia and Belarus
- Maersk: Can I ship cargo to/from Russia at the moment?
- Maersk: Policy on shipments involving Russia and EU, US and UN sanctions and export control laws
- Maersk: Dry container equipment specifications
- ICC: Incoterms rules
- IMO: CTU Code
This article is general information, not legal, tax or customs advice. Rules, rates and procedures change; confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or a licensed customs professional before you ship. The points above were taken from the pages listed under Sources, which include carrier pages, news reports, a 2019 summary and secondary copies of EU legal texts, as well as UK and US official texts, read on 29 October 2026. The EU texts were not checked on EUR-Lex itself, so confirm current rules with the relevant authority.
Image credits: header photo by Ian Taylor on Unsplash; photo by Albert Stoynov on Unsplash; photo from zzkonst on Pixabay; photo by Daniel Miksha on Unsplash; photo by Wolfgang Weiser on Unsplash; photo by Matthew Jackson on Unsplash. Used under the Unsplash License and the Pixabay Content License.
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