ALMATY. Sept 7 (Interfax) – Kazakhstan sent its first container train with 1,300 tonnes of wheat to Xi’an, China via a new railway route, Kazakh railway operator Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) said.
The wheat was sent from the October station in Tayynshinsky district, North Kazakhstan region. The new route was established by the China-Kazakh Trade and Logistics Company LLC, a joint venture between Kedentransservice (a KTZ subsidiary) and the international dry port of Xi’an [The Xi’an International Trade and Logistics Park].
The launch of the first container train loaded with grain will lend additional impetus to the expansion of cooperation in the agricultural and trade and transport sectors of the two countries and, in the future, will allow for the use of the capacity of the cargo terminal being built by the joint venture in Xi’an, the KTZ press release says.
The joint venture also plans to expand its geography of shipments to and from other regions of Kazakhstan and to have trains loaded with imported goods from China as a way to increase the range of goods transported.
Export shipments of Kazakh grain to China increased fourfold to 1.1 million tonnes from September 2022 through June 2023, KTZ said.
During the last season of grain transportation from September 2022 to August 2023, KTZ increased transportation volumes 20% compared to the 2021/2022 season, to about 12 million tonnes.
Construction of the Kazakhstan logistics center in the dry port of Xi’an started in May 2023. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, “this hub connects the Shaanxi region with Kazakhstan, Central Asia. Then it will open the way to Europe, Turkey and Iran.”
Starting next year, the transport of electronics and computer components is expected to begin via the dry port. They will be accompanied by automobiles and auto components, textiles, clothing, footwear and accessories, food and agricultural products, construction products and building materials, ores, metals and chemical products.
Source : Interfax
