The German federal government has adopted a strategy for the development of autonomous driving, becoming the first country in the world to have a comprehensive legislative framework for this technology. The goal is to make Germany a global hub for innovation and production in this field.
Chinese company Jingdong Logistics has opened a new air route between Shenzhen and Bangkok. The first flight took place on January 3 and was operated by JD Airlines. The plane delivered a full load of goods for cross-border e-commerce to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd have announced the launch of Gemini Cooperation feeder services as part of their collaboration on routes within the Far East region. The main hubs for the new routes will be the ports of Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia) and Singapore. Destinations include China, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines, including routes such as CPF, JKF, SS1 and TWX.
Estonian company Operail is the first company in the country to test single-driver freight transport. The C30-M series locomotive, developed and built by the company itself, has entered service. This locomotive has successfully passed the test and received approval for single-driver operation.
The maiden voyage of the new sea freight route “China-Europe Express” has successfully started. The vessel Kawa Ningbo departed from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port (China) to Wilhelmshaven (Germany), carrying lithium batteries and other goods for cross-border e-commerce.
The Union of International Road Transport Associations (OTS-URTA) was established within the framework of the Organization of Turkic States (OTG) to develop road transport and trade in the region. The initiative is supported by the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and is aimed at solving problems in the field of international transport and customs clearance.
According to the results of 2024, the seaports of Ukraine handled almost 97 million tons of cargo, which is a record for wartime, the State Enterprise “Administration of Sea Ports of Ukraine” (USPU) reports. Despite constant shelling and destruction of infrastructure, this figure significantly exceeds last year’s result of 62 million tons.
From September to December 25, 2024, Kazakhstan exported 3.7 million tons of new crop grain, which is 54% more than in the same period of 2023 (2.4 million tons). The main growth came from Uzbekistan (+44%), Tajikistan (+53%), Afghanistan (+52%) and Kyrgyzstan (+22%). Exports to Iran via the port of Aktau increased more than 30 times, reaching 435 thousand tons against 14 thousand tons a year earlier.
The year 2024 has become a time of changes and ambitious projects for the ports of Szczecin and Świnoujście. Despite the decrease in cargo turnover by 8.5% (32,305.8 million tons), the results of the year are assessed positively due to the stabilization of indicators in the second half of the year.
In February 2025, SJSC “Latvijas dzelzceļš” (LDz) will announce a tender for the Riga-Liepaja passenger rail infrastructure modernization project. The project includes design and construction. In order for interested suppliers to be able to familiarize themselves with the procurement conditions and offer their recommendations, LDz organized an online consultation on 7 January 2025.
