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The Klaipeda State Seaport Authority has announced the start of the procurement process for contractors for the first stage of the southern port development. The selected contractor will build the southern port gate, marking the starting point of a large-scale port infrastructure expansion project. Algis Latakas, General Director of the Port of Klaipeda, noted that the need to develop the southern zone has been emphasized for several years, and the announcement of the tender is a tangible step toward the launch of the largest project in the port’s history, with construction scheduled to begin this year.

French shipping group CMA CGM, together with American infrastructure investment company Stonepeak, established a new terminal company, United Ports LLC. The deal consolidates ten strategically important container terminals in Europe, North and South America, and Asia, previously managed by a CMA Ports subsidiary, under a single holding company. United Ports is headquartered in the United States, with CMA CGM retaining a 75% stake, Stonepeak receiving 25%, and CMA CGM retaining operational management of the assets.

South Africa’s state-owned logistics group Transnet signed a memorandum of understanding with the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority and the Antwerp-Flanders Port Education Centre (APEC). The document, signed during the World Economic Forum in Davos, aims to develop cooperation in modernizing South Africa’s port infrastructure.

As part of his official visit to Latvia, French Foreign Minister Stéphane Barrot participated in a flower-laying ceremony at the Freedom Monument, visited the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and held a joint press conference on the current international agenda. Discussions focused on support for Ukraine, cooperation with the EU and NATO, transatlantic relations, and regional security issues.

The European road freight sector is gradually recovering from the 2023 recession, but the recovery remains weak and uneven, according to ING analysis. While demand for freight began to grow in 2025, total tonne-kilometer volumes remain on average 1.5% below pre-crisis peaks. The bank forecasts that demand for road freight in Europe will increase by approximately 1% in 2026, with significant variation across countries, segments, and fleet structures.

Logistics company DACHSER is investing in the expansion of its Hegau-Bodensee hub in Steißlingen, located near Switzerland. The project will include the construction of a new 8,950 m² warehouse with a storage capacity of 22,000 pallets. The company will also modernize its existing transit terminals for handling industrial and consumer goods, as well as food products, to meet growing demand from customers in the industrial and retail sectors. Completion is scheduled for early 2027, with the creation of 30 to 50 new jobs.