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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.

In the coming years, the Ülemiste district will become Tallinn’s new urban center, thanks to large-scale development around the capital’s largest transportation hub. Tallinna Lennujaam, Rail Baltic Estonia, and Mainor Ülemiste are jointly investing approximately €500 million to transform the former industrial area into a modern, internationally oriented business and community center. Rail Baltica plays a key role in this process, integrating international and domestic rail connections, trams, buses, and the airport into a single space. According to Sten Pärnits, head of Mainor Ülemiste, Ülemiste will become more than just a transportation hub, but a “city within a city,” complementing Tallinn’s historic center and the Telliskivi district.

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.

The European rail industry association UNIFE stated that the lack of stable investment and a harmonized regulatory framework threatens the global competitiveness of European rail equipment manufacturers and suppliers, and calls into question the achievement of decarbonization goals. According to the association, annual investments of €46 billion are needed to transition to eco-friendly rolling stock and maintain the industry’s position.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges operated in 2025 amid geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and widespread industrial action. The war in Ukraine, trade conflicts between the US, Europe, and China, congestion at container terminals, and approximately 25 days of strikes put pressure on the entire logistics chain. At the end of the year, seaborne cargo throughput amounted to 266.5 million tonnes, a 4.1% decrease from 2024, but still comparable to previous years. Losses due to strikes are estimated at 2.4 million tonnes, or approximately 1% of annual turnover.

In the first 12 months of 2025, 161.3 million tons of freight were transported by rail in Ukraine, a decrease of 13.6 million tons, or 7.8%, compared to 2024. Domestic shipments accounted for almost half of this volume – 74.5 million tons, or 46.2% of the total. Exports amounted to 74 million tons (45.9%), imports – 12.3 million tons (7.6%), and transit shipments remained minimal, reaching 0.5 million tons.

A working meeting was held in Izmail to discuss the current situation in the Danube region and Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, as well as overcoming the logistical challenges posed by Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The discussion was attended by Andriy Kashuba, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine; Alain Baron, a representative of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE); and representatives of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, Izmail Commercial Seaport, Ukrzaliznytsia, and the Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company.