SEPTEMBERASIA BUSINESS OUTLOOK8MAERSK LISTS NEW TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS CONNECTING MARKETS LUCRATIVE TO CENTRAL ASIAINDIA & RUSSIA TO COMMENCE TRADE OPERATIONS ON EASTERN MARITIME CORRIDORMaersk announces a new transportation solution that connects important producing countries in the United States, the Far East, and, in particular, the Mediterranean and Europe, to attractive Central Asian markets. The company's new product, an end-to-end intermodal ship and rail transport solution, aims to improve cargo transportation efficiency, particularly for consumer, lifestyle, and tech products to Central Asia's growing consumer markets. While this new tailored solution is primarily aimed at Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, it will serve as the foundation for future logistics offerings in neighbouring countries such as Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.Besides our existing rail connection through China, there has been a rising demand among our customers in the Western hemisphere for a logistics solution in this corridor which is seamlessly connected to a global network at the European end. We are happy to serve this demand with our new dedicated offering now and help our customers to reliably import and export their products to and from the Central Asian markets, says Sedef Ayhan Managing Director, East Mediterranean Area of Maersk.The Georgian port of Poti serves as the primary connecting point to Maersk's global ocean network. Cargo is transported by rail from this port to Baku, Azerbaijan. Following that, the journey continues from Baku to Aktau via the Caspian Sea. Finally, the cargo is transported by train to its final destinations in Central Asia, such as Almaty, Astana, and Tashkent.Maersk has established last mile connections in Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan through a dedicated trucking pool to ensure seamless and reliable logistics. This strategic approach allows for efficient and secure delivery to the final destination, reducing delays and increasing customer satisfaction.Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Sept 12 that India and Russia hope to begin operations on the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) soon.According to an official statement, the EMC is expected to cut the time required to transport cargo between Indian and Russian ports in the Far East Region by up to 16 days. Once completed, it will take 24 days to transport goods from India to Far East Russia, down from over 40 days now. The trade route between Mumbai and St. Petersburg is 8,675 nautical miles long and takes 35 to 40 days to complete.The Chennai-Vladivostok sea route (EMC) will cover approximately 5,600 nautical miles. According to the statement, a large container ship traveling at its normal cruising speed of 20-25 knots (37-46 km/h) will be able to cover this distance in 10 to 12 days."Currently, there are 802 projects worth more than $65 billion for implementation under the Sagarmala Programme by 2035," Sonowal, who is on an official visit to Russia, said. 228 projects totaling $ 14.6 billion have been completed, with another 260 projects totaling $ 27 billion in the works."He added that another 314 projects worth $ 24 billion are in various stages of development. NEWSROOM
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