A brand-new rail station — Xianglushan — has just opened in Wuhan (Hubei Province, China), serving as a new departure point for freight trains heading to Europe and Central Asia.

-> The first train left for Kazakhstan on August 6, 2025.

-> Shipments from this station are expected to be 2 days faster and 15% cheaper.

-> The new route strengthens logistics connections between China and regional markets.

Just last month, Wuhan also launched its first multimodal route to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, expanding China’s overland reach into Central Asia.

China’s rail gateways to Eurasia are expanding — and getting more efficient.

Uzbekistan’s Deputy Minister of Transport, Jasurbek Choriev, announced that Afghanistan has provided security guarantees for the implementation of the Trans-Afghan Corridor. This project could become the shortest route to seaports in Pakistan and serve as an important alternative to the northern and southern trade corridors.

The project is valued at $7 billion, includes the construction of 5 tunnels and 312 bridges, and may take up to 5 years to complete.

Choriev emphasized that without affordable logistics, it will be difficult for Uzbekistan to sustain rapid economic growth.

In June 2025, China exported 7,742 tonnes of rare earth elements — a 60% increase compared to June 2024 and 32% more than in May. This is the highest monthly volume since December 2009. Analysts link the surge to recent easing of export controls and behind-the-scenes agreements with the United States. Reports in June indicated that China issued export licenses to select US companies and simplified procedures for European countries.

Although export volume rose, the total dollar value dropped by 47%, likely due to a shift in the export mix: more lower-value rare earths were shipped, while high-value ones remained tightly controlled. A fuller picture is expected when detailed trade data is released on July 20.

Rare earths are critical to industries such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, and defense, and China retains a strategic advantage as the world’s dominant supplier.

The implementation of a digital customs system in Uzbekistan has reduced the average cargo processing time at the border from 3 hours to just 30 minutes. Launched in early 2024, the system includes interfaces for inspectors, warehouse workers, and cargo owners or carriers.

The system allows pre-submission of cargo data and uses a risk management algorithm to decide whether an officer’s inspection is needed. As a result, many goods are cleared without direct inspector involvement, and owners can track clearance progress in real time.

Türkiye has increased the transit fees for international vessels navigating through the strategic Turkish Straits, which connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea, authorities announced on Sunday.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said in a statement that the toll increased by 15 percent compared to the previous year, reaching 5.83 U.S. dollars per ton. The new rate will take effect on July 1.

The updated fees will apply to vessels transiting the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul and the Dardanelles Strait in northwestern Türkiye, with charges based on their net tonnage, the minister noted.

"This increase is highly valuable in terms of supporting the sustainability of the public services we provide in the Turkish Straits," the minister pointed out. "With the fees we collect, we continue to constantly improve our infrastructure and vessel traffic monitoring systems to enhance maritime safety and security, as well as environmental protection, in our straits -- among the world's most challenging and risky narrow waterways."

A total of 51,058 transit vessels subject to the tolls passed through the two straits in 2024, generating 227.4 million dollars in revenue, according to the minister.

Crossing through Türkiye's largest city, Istanbul, the Bosphorus Strait stretches nearly 30 kilometers and narrows to about 700 meters at its tightest points, serving as a vital corridor linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.

Meanwhile, the Dardanelles Strait in the Canakkale province is another key waterway, extending 61 kilometers and connecting the Sea of Marmara with the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.