A trial transit road transportation route from China to Europe via Kazakhstan has been initiated, the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan reported. This endeavor marks the first time in history that goods are being transported along the China-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia route through the seaports of Kuryk and Baku.
The development unfolded during a meeting of the Kazakh-Chinese joint commission on road transportation held in Aktau. Three Chinese trucks, each weighing 80 tons, departed from Urumqi and traversed the transit route. On May 23 they were loaded onto a ferry at the Kuryk port in Aktau, continuing their journey along the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia route.
Ali Altai, Chairman of the Committee on Road Transport and Transport Control of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kazakhstan, hailed the agreement signed with China last year as a pivotal moment in bilateral cooperation. He emphasized the immense potential it holds for enhancing trade relations between the two nations.
Altai highlighted that while sea freight from China to Western countries typically takes up to 52 days and rail transport up to 22 days, road transportation can significantly reduce transit time to just 12 days, offering a seamless "door-to-door" delivery solution.
The meeting also addressed administrative matters concerning the exchange of permit forms for 2024 and 2025. With 120,000 permit forms allocated for 2024, both parties intend to digitize the process next year, transitioning to electronic permit forms issued in unlimited quantities.
The volume of cargo transportation surged by 1.5 times in 2023, reaching 1.8 mn tons. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, cargo transportation increased by 63%, totaling 450,100 tons. The transported goods include a diverse range of products such as paper and paper pulp products, prepared food items, wood and wood products, machinery, equipment, and animal products.
Follow Daryo's official Instagram and Twitter pages to keep current on world news.
Comments (0)