Trans-Afghan corridor reports first cargo shipment

Two Kazakhstani companies, KTZ Express and QazTrade, in conjunction with the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), a logistical operator from Pakistan, have conducted a pilot intermodal shipment to the Jebel Ali Port in the UAE via Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to Kazakhstan Railways, the cargo shipment from the «Pavlodar» special economic zone to the endpoint of the route took 38 days. The pilot project began by loading two 21-ton trucks, which then departed for the Zhetygen Transport Logistical Center, where the freight was reloaded into two 40-foot containers set up on trucks. The trucks then proceeded to the Karachi Port in Pakistan.

This 4,900-kilometer trip to Karachi took 20 days. On June 1, the containers were loaded onto a feeder ship and reached their destination at the Jebel Ali Port on June 3.

About 60 containers are expected to be shipped via this route in June and July. Thanks to this intermodal service, Kazakhstani exporters will be able to supply their products to the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

KTZ Express is a subsidiary of Kazakhstan Railways, while the QazTrade Trade Policy Development Center is controlled by the Ministry of Trade and Integration.