Kazakhstan Experiences Doubling of Sea and Coastal Cargo Transport
Sea and Coastal Cargo Transportation in Kazakhstan Surges in 2024
In a recent report by EnergyProm, it was revealed that the volume of sea and coastal cargo and baggage transportation in Kazakhstan reached 1.6 million tons in the period of January to July, marking a significant 2.1-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023.
This year’s transportation volume has surpassed the annual figures recorded over the past five years, with previous higher figures only seen before 2014. Additionally, the cargo turnover of sea and coastal transport has doubled to 966 million ton-kilometers during January to July, the highest it has been since 2020.
The growth in sea and coastal cargo transportation can be attributed, in part, to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), which connects China to Europe via rail and sea transport. The ports of Kuryk and Aktau play a vital role in this route, with a new container hub in the Aktau seaport set to handle up to 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) by 2025.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has set a goal to increase cargo traffic along the TITR to 500,000 TEU per year by 2030, a significant increase from the 33,600 TEU recorded in 2022.
For comparison, the report also highlighted that the Port of Shanghai in China was recognized as the busiest port in the world in 2023, handling 49 million TEU of cargo. Following closely behind was the Port of Singapore with 39 million TEU. Chinese ports secure the majority of the top spots, with South Korea’s Port of Busan and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands also making the top ten list.
The surge in sea and coastal cargo transportation in Kazakhstan signifies a positive growth trend in the region, supported by key infrastructure projects and government initiatives aimed at boosting trade and connectivity.
