European countries may introduce a tax on shipping companies using the Baltic Sea to cover the cost of protecting undersea cables. Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said the tax would act as an “insurance fee” for possible damage to infrastructure on the seabed, similar to landing fees at airports.
Kazakhstan and Georgia are expanding their cooperation in transport and logistics: during a meeting of the prime ministers of the two countries, the launch of a new multimodal terminal of PTC Holding in the port of Poti was announced. This project will become a key element of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), opening up additional opportunities for increasing cargo flow. The new terminal with an area of 9 hectares will be able to handle up to 80,000 containers per year, providing transshipment of goods between the universal park and containers.
From 1 April 2025, the new EU standard for import security and control systems – ICS2 – will come into force, requiring rail and road hauliers to provide data on goods travelling to or via the EU before their arrival. This will require the submission of a full advance data entry (ENS) application.
Militzer & Münch is expanding its operations in Belgium with the opening of a new office in Mouscron on January 27, strengthening trade links between the Benelux region and the Maghreb. The company will operate under the French umbrella, providing access to the French border and a second site in Oudenaarde, where cross-docking, warehousing and logistics services will be provided.
Hapag-Lloyd has reached a historic milestone, surpassing 300 vessels in its fleet! This significant step demonstrates the company’s commitment to growth and global connectivity. We are proud to announce the 300th vessel, “Nordatlantic”, which joined the fleet in January 2025.
A recent poll in the Baltic states has shown that the majority of residents consider the Rail Baltica project important for improving military mobility and national security. 60% of respondents in Latvia, 52% in Estonia and 72% in Lithuania believe that military mobility is the main reason for building this high-speed rail line, which will connect the Baltics with Poland and the rest of the European Union.
In 2024, the port of Kuryk handled about two million tons of cargo. The largest part of the transshipment was rail cargo – 1,150,600 tons, road transportation reached 781,300 tons. The grain terminal handled 25,900 tons of grain. In total, the port of Kuryk received and processed 1,957,800 tons of various cargo during the year.
KlasJet, part of the world’s largest ACMI Avia Solutions Group, has significantly expanded its operations in 2024, achieving almost a threefold increase in passenger numbers and operating hours. Last year, the company’s number of passengers under ACMI lease increased to 1.2 million, almost three times compared to 2023. The success was achieved through fleet expansion, improved training and strategic growth. The number of flights also increased – in 2024, the company operated more than 7,600 flights, doubling this figure compared to the previous year.
HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC) has been appointed as the project coordinator and financial manager for the H2-Derivatives@BalticSeaPorts (H2Deri@BSP) project, funded by the Baltic Sea Region 2021-2027 programme. The project, initiated by the Port of Hamburg Marketing (HHM), will start in March 2025 and run until February 2028. Its objective is to introduce hydrogen derivatives as a marine fuel and optimise their handling in the ports of the Baltic region.
At an extended government meeting, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized the importance of transport and logistics infrastructure for international transit. He noted that Kazakhstan has a significant advantage in the field of cargo transportation and should use it as efficiently as possible. Particular attention is paid to the Trans-Kazakhstan Railway Corridor as a key element of the Trans-Caspian route.
