Central Asia

The 34th meeting of the Joint Commissions of the Border Railways of Kazakhstan and China was held in Almaty, where the results of freight and container transportation were discussed. In the first eight months of 2025, total transportation volume reached 23.2 million tons, exceeding the previous year’s figure by 10%. By the end of the year, the parties plan to transport 35 million tons, 3.6 million more than in 2024, and outlined forecast figures for 2026.

A meeting of the heads of delegations from countries participating in the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) was held on the sidelines of the New Silk Way Forum. The event was attended by Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, Turkey’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Hummatov, and Georgia’s Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Gennady Arveladze.

In anticipation of the national holiday in China from October 1 to 7, 2025, when many factories, ports, and customs offices temporarily suspend operations, Maersk has taken measures to minimize the impact of the “golden week” on customers. The company has adjusted the schedule of services between the Far East and Europe and temporarily rerouted the AE12 line in the Adriatic region: vessels now call in Rijeka before the port of Koper.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide up to €35 million to upgrade the handling facilities of the port of Aktau, Kazakhstan’s key transit hub on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea. The project is part of the development of the trans-Caspian logistics corridor, which will ensure stable transportation between Europe and Central Asia. The European Union may also provide a grant of up to €10 million through the regional APIF, bringing the total funding to €45 million.

CMA CGM is launching a new Cherry Express service for the export of Chilean cherries to China in the 2025 season. The new route will provide fast delivery from San Antonio to Shanghai in just 23 days and is specifically designed for cherries. To support the service, changes have been made to the existing ACSA 1 and M2X lines.

A meeting between JSC NC Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) and AD Ports Group (ADPG) was held in Astana. The parties discussed current cooperation and prospects for joint logistics development. The focus was on the development of multimodal transportation and cooperation at the Port of Karachi, managed by AD Ports Group under a long-term concession. This will enable route diversification and enhance the resilience of international supply chains.

KTZE Yuzhny, a branch of KTZ Express JSC, is strengthening its leadership in Kazakhstan’s transport and logistics industry by developing infrastructure, implementing modern technologies, and expanding its range of services. The company provides container and railcar freight forwarding, sea freight, warehouse logistics, customs clearance, and shuttle services. Key capacities are concentrated at the Altynkol, Dostyk, and Arys stations, as well as the Khorgos-Eastern Gateway SEZ and the Kazakhstan-China terminal in Lianyungang.

The railway industry remains a key element of the global transportation system, and for Kazakhstan, this sector is of particular importance. Despite significant track deterioration in recent years, the government has adopted a large-scale program to modernize and build over 5,000 kilometers of tracks, repair another 11,000 kilometers, and expand the network by 2029. The country’s unique geographic location in the center of Eurasia offers significant prospects for transit and the transformation of railway infrastructure into a driver of economic growth.

Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Transport, Talgat Lastayev, held talks with Iranian Ambassador Ali Akbar Jowkar, where the two sides discussed key areas of cooperation in transport and logistics. The central topic was the prospects for developing the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TCITR), which strengthens the two countries’ role as strategic transit hubs in Eurasia.

Ocean Network Express (ONE), a liner shipping company, announced a new world record: its flagship container ship ONE Innovation loaded 22,233 TEUs in the Port of Singapore—the largest container volume ever on a single vessel. The ship departed on an Asia-Europe (FE4) voyage bound for the UK port of Felixstowe, with a subsequent port call in Rotterdam.