China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey have signed an agreement on the harmonization of tariffs for rail transportation. As reported by the Association of Kazakhstan Freight Rail Carriers, this sounds like a bureaucratic track, but in fact, it is a real logistics symphony for the East-West corridor, APK News agency reports.
What's going on?
"The countries are aligning their tariff policies along the entire route from China to Europe so that cargo travels faster, cheaper and without "jumping prices" at the borders," the Association believes.
There is already a result: container transportation from China to Iran via Kazakhstan increased by 2.6 times at the beginning of 2025.
"That is, trains are running on rails not because of promises, but because of real traffic. For the first time in a long time, it seems that they are not only talking, but also doing. This corridor can become not just an alternative, but a convenient and competitive route between the East and the West. And whoever manages to fit into this race for cargo flows will earn money. The rest will only be left to discuss why cargo has again "gone around", - noted the carriers.