The main rail option from China for European importers is via the so-called “middle corridor,” but as demand steadily increases, so too are the many chokepoints along the route.
Elevated demand for rail cargo on the only viable China-Europe rail route continues to overwhelm the existing infrastructure, with congestion building at Central Asian intermodal points.
The only real option at present for rail cargo from China to Europe is the so-called “middle corridor,” even though the transit is often longer than ocean and 30 percent more expensive than the largely out-of-bounds northern alternative through Russia.
Shippers and their service providers exiting the China-Europe rail route through Russia has slammed the brakes on a trade lane that expanded by almost 30 percent in 2021.
Europe’s automotive logistics sector is on a roll. Volumes are rising across the supply chain, and with the strengthening EU and US economies, 2018 should prove to be a year of continued sector growth. However, concern about a possible trade war and Britain’s complex exit from the European Union are two trade storm clouds.
There used to be few alternatives to manufacturing in China, but this infographic details how rising production costs in the "Factory of the World" is allowing sourcing competitors to threaten that dominance.
CMA CGM has extended its FEMEX service in the Black Sea with the addition of three new calls in Samsun, Turkey; Novorossiysk, Russia; and Constanta, Romania.
Romania pulled the partial privatization of the state-owned rail company after potential investors, including a US short line operator, failed to pre-qualify for the bidding process.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation and its affiliated maritime unions in Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine are aiming to improve safety and working conditions...