On July 9, 2024, the container ship CMA CGM BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, while on a voyage from Asia to Europe, encountered a severe storm off the coast of South Africa, resulting in the loss of 44 containers overboard and damage to another 30 containers on the ship. Despite the incident, no crew members were injured, no environmental pollution occurred, and the ship remained fully seaworthy.
Rhenus Port Logistics Rhein-Ruhr has opened a new covered terminal and specialized equipment for loading grain from Ukraine at Terminal 4 of the Port of Duisburg. Previously, it was sent through the port of Odessa, but now the railway route through Ukraine, Poland and Germany is used. Upon arrival in Duisburg, the grain is transferred from containers to river vessels, allowing sensitive cargo to be quickly transported to its next destination by coordinating the arrival of rail and shipping services.
The 15th meeting of the dialogue platform “Kazakhstan-European Union” was held in Astana, at which issues of expanding trade, economic and investment interaction, as well as the joint implementation of projects in the field of transport and logistics were discussed. The European Union remains a key partner of Kazakhstan, providing more than 40% of attracted investments and about 30% of foreign trade.
The Port of Riga has completed several major construction projects aimed at improving its infrastructure, significantly enhancing both military mobility and commercial competitiveness. One of the key developments is the extension of the port’s berth, which now allows the accommodation and faster processing of larger container ships, ro-ro vessels, and military cargo ships. This project, titled “Increasing the dual use capacity of the Port of Riga,” is a collaborative effort between the Freeport of Riga Authority, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Agency (CINEA), and SIA “Baltic Container Terminal” (BCT).
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of CITIC Group Xi Guohua, where they discussed the implementation of joint Kazakh-Chinese infrastructure projects and strengthening cooperation in energy and industry. Currently, with the participation of the CITIC Group, large projects for the reconstruction of roads are being implemented, including the Taldykorgan – Ust-Kamenogorsk and Karaganda – Balkhash highways.
Kazakhstan and Pakistan are discussing prospects for cooperation in the transport and logistics sector. The meeting of the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Pakistan Erzhan Kistafin with the Federal Minister of Communications, Privatization and Investment Board of Pakistan Abdul Alim Khan was devoted to discussing the transit opportunities of Pakistan and the main corridors along which cargo transportation from Kazakhstan through the sea ports of Pakistan is carried out.
China has started using the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) to transport trucks. On July 3, the first convoy of 26 trucks was loaded onto the ferry ship “Mercury-1” in the port of Kuryk, Kazakhstan. The ferry belongs to the ASCO maritime transport fleet and has already arrived in Azerbaijan.
Nippon Express (Vietnam) Co., Ltd. (NX Vietnam), a subsidiary of NIPPON EXPRESS HOLDINGS, INC., launched a new rail service linking Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on June 21. With Vietnam’s rapid economic growth fueling increased logistics needs, the new service will be an important element in effectively connecting the country’s manufacturing and consumer centers. Switching to rail transportation will help solve the problem of constant traffic congestion and reduce the costs and time of transporting goods.
At the 2024 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Astana, participants signed 25 cooperation documents, focusing on economic issues. The event was the admission of Belarus to the SCO, which became the tenth member of the organization along with India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Based on the results of January-June 2024, NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC transported more than 122 million tons of cargo by rail. Domestic transportation increased by 2.1% compared to the same period last year and amounted to over 81.5 million tons, while more than 41 million tons were exported. Among the transported goods, coal occupies a significant place – 47.5 million tons, of which 34.8 million tons are accounted for by domestic transportation.
