Category: Freight

Central Asian demand surges: Kazakhstan’s grain exports rose 18.6% year-on-year to 5.1 million tonnes, led by strong growth in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Afghanistan. Shift to value-added in Russia: Russia’s average food export value per tonne increased 25% in 2025 as the country pivots from bulk grain to higher-margin processed products. Freight mix changing: Outlook is…

Exports Softening: Malaysian palm oil exports fell 9.7% year-over-year in 2025 to 15.26 million tonnes amid weaker demand from key buyers including India, China, the EU, and Turkey. Price Competitiveness: Palm oil now trades at a steep discount of $250/tonne to sunflower oil and $100/tonne to soybean oil, enhancing its appeal in price-sensitive markets. Short-Term…

Chornomorsk port appeal: Over 40 international bidders signal strong interest in Ukraine’s largest wartime port PPP, with pre-qualification due by March 4, 2025. Capacity boost: Concession plan targets 250,000 TEU containers and 3 million tons of bulk cargo within three years, supporting over 1,000 jobs and around $1 billion in budget revenues. Russian dairy resilience:…

Kazakhstan’s grain exports to Uzbekistan via rail jumped 32% in 2025 to 4.5 million tons, underscoring robust regional trade growth. Russian rapeseed oil exports to China hit a record 160,000 tons in December 2025, with full-year volumes rising 17% to 1.28 million tons. Overall freight volumes on Kazakhstan’s rail network increased 5.5% to 319.9 million…

Rail shipments up 18% YoY: Ukrainian oilseed cake and meal rail exports reached 114,400 tons by January 13, signaling strong demand despite logistical challenges. Western corridors dominate: Western border crossings now handle 76% of meal and 65% of cake rail freight, sharply reducing the role of seaports. Seaport share declines: Seaports account for just 24%…

Logistics consolidation: Romania’s full acquisition of Giurgiulesti Port and planned €24M+ investment aim to integrate the terminal into Danube–Black Sea freight corridors, improving export efficiency and regional capacity. Cost support for exporters: Zero Russian export duties on wheat, barley, and corn through January 27 keep Black Sea grain exports price-competitive despite slightly softer indicative prices.…

Resilient export value: Agricultural exports held at $600 million in 2025, only slightly below the 2024 record, despite a sharp drop in grain volumes. Shift to value-added products: Oils and fats, led by sunflower oil (80% of the segment), grew 1.5x in value, offsetting the contraction in grain shipments. Concentrated demand profile: Turkey remains the…

Investment Scale: Kuryk Port’s development is set to attract up to $1.1 billion, with $300 million allocated for Phase 1 construction starting in 2024. Capacity Expansion: Phase 1 will handle 180,000 TEU, 180,000 vehicles, and 2–3 million tons of bulk cargo annually, enhancing Middle Corridor logistics. Timeline: The port complex is scheduled for commissioning in…

Ukrainian grain exports in the 2025/26 marketing year are down 29.2% year-on-year to 16.921 million tons, signaling weaker export demand from Ukrainian ports. Wheat and corn shipments are both sharply lower (–20% and –36.7% respectively), tightening vessel demand on key Black Sea export routes. January export pace is 17% below last year, reinforcing a Neutral…

Rail exports trimmed: Ukraine’s average daily grain rail transfers to the EU fell 7.6% in early January to 171 tons per day. Border bottlenecks: Sharpest cuts were recorded at the Polish (down 6.3 cars/day) and Romanian (down 2.6 cars/day) crossings, tightening export capacity. Hungary offsets partially: The Hungarian border was the only route with higher…