BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 8. Transit transportation of cargo in containers from China to the European Union (EU) via Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus increased by 44 percent in annual terms to 90,000 TEU (20-foot equivalent unit) in the first quarter of 2024, the Deputy Director General of Russian Railways JSC, and Head of the Transport Service Center of Russian Railways Alexei Shilo said, Trend reports.
According to his estimate, the growth of container transportation from China through Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation in the second quarter of 2024 will be at the level of 30-40 percent.
"The speed of container transportation by rail from the borders with China to the borders with the EU is 5-7 days. This is three times faster than by container ship through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, and five times faster than by sea bypassing along the southwest coast of Africa. Therefore, this route is in demand," Shilo said.
To note, 674,000 TEUs were transported from the PRC to the EU via Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus in 2023 (an increase of 26.6 percent over 2022).
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