In July, German exports fell by 0.6% compared to the previous month, primarily due to a 7.9% drop in shipments to the United States due to tariffs. This represents a significant challenge for Europe’s largest economy, where foreign trade plays a key role: in 2024, bilateral trade with the United States was expected to reach €253 billion, making it Germany’s largest trading partner.
At the end of August, the Baltic Hub in Gdansk received the first container ship as part of the new Poland Shuttle (PLS) service, operated by the shipping line Ocean Network Express (ONE). The new service strengthens Gdansk’s role as a strategic maritime hub in the region and expands its network of connections to key European ports.
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK), implementing the national megaproject to build a new airport and high-speed rail network in Poland, will hold approximately 100 tenders in 2026–2028. In 2026 alone, their total value will be approximately 40 billion zlotys (over 9 billion euros), half of which will be awarded in the second quarter. The largest contracts are related to the construction of the Warsaw–Łódź High-Speed Railway (HSR) and airport infrastructure.
On September 8, Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (ADY), part of AZCON Holding, met with an American business delegation in Baku. The company’s strategy for developing international transportation routes was presented to the guests, emphasizing the growth of volumes on the Middle Corridor and the diversification of routes along the East-West and North-South axes.
According to data from the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs under the Ministry of Transport of Turkey, the country’s seaports handled 366.79 million tonnes of cargo in the first eight months of 2025, a 3% increase compared to the same period last year. In August, 43.94 million tonnes were handled (up 2.7%), of which 11.84 million tonnes were exported (up 2%), 20.77 million tonnes were imported (up 4.6%), and 5.97 million tonnes were cabotage (up 5.7%). Transit volumes decreased to 5.34 million tonnes (-5.7%).
According to AsstrA analysts, China’s foreign trade demonstrated steady growth from January to July 2025, driven by exports, particularly in the high-tech and industrial sectors. The main drivers were shipments of integrated circuits, automobiles, and electrical and mechanical engineering equipment. Meanwhile, imports of raw materials and agricultural products declined, reflecting China’s strategic shift toward developing domestic high-tech manufacturing and reducing its dependence on external resources.
From September 9 to 11, the BLACK AND CASPIAN FREIGHT FORUM 2025: CORRIDORS, CARGOS, INFRASTRUCTURE was held in Azerbaijan at the Four Seasons Hotel Baku. It was an international event that brought together 180 participants from 18 countries to discuss key trends in transport, logistics and international freight transportation.
Starting October 2, 2025, Latam Cargo Group will launch a direct cargo service between Brussels and São José dos Campos (SJK, Brazil). Initially, flights will operate once a week, increasing to twice a week during the winter. The new service will reduce delivery times and transportation costs for European customers.
On September 9, 2025, an event was held at the Absheron Logistics Center to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the launch of the China (Zhejiang)–Europe Railway Express route via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), as well as the arrival of the Yiwu (China)–Baku train. At the ceremony, representatives of Zhejiang Province, the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, and the Chinese Embassy emphasized that the passage of the 237th block train, comprising 100 containers, demonstrates Azerbaijan’s growing role as a key transit hub connecting Europe and Asia.
Chinese operator Sea Legend Shipping will launch the first direct container service between China and Northern Europe via the Northern Sea Route (NSR) in September. The voyage will be carried out by the only vessel of the season, the 4,890 TEU container ship Istanbul Bridge, which will call at the ports of Qingdao, Shanghai, Ningbo, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Gdansk. The delivery time will be just 18 days, which is twice as fast as the traditional route via the Cape of Good Hope.
