China-Europe rail freight volumes have rebounded this year, up 30% on the first half of 2022 and six months on from Russia being the only thing halting a collapse in traffic.
China-Europe Railway Express handled more than 936,000 teu between January and June, across some 8,641 services, representing a respective 30% and 16% year-on-year spike, as volumes rebounded following a difficult end to 2022.
Outpacing the global growth rate, trade proved particularly strong on the Xi’an to Duisburg line, which recently doubled frequencies from one to two trains a week. In addition, a new service connecting through Lodz reduced transit times between China and Europe and another boost came via Chinese importers looking to capitalize on return capacity to balance trade ties.
The improvements are in marked contrast to where Chinese rail sat at the start of the year, only domestic Russian rail demand preventing a collapse of China-Europe rates.
At that time, Chinese rail operators found themselves contending with “cheap as chips” ocean freight prices that saw many customers opt for the slower but less expensive sea routes to market. One operator source told: “What we believe happened is Russian shippers locked out of ocean freight capacity have turned to sourcing goods from China.
The Duisburg Express Rail Shuttle offered by shipping giant CMA CGM just got an upgrade. From July on, the service runs three weekly roundtrips connecting two major trade and economic centres, but also providing access to shipping lines covering multiple regions.
The shuttle trains will link the RWG, ECT Delta-HPH 2 terminals in Rotterdam’s Maasvlakte with Duisburg’s D3T trimodal terminal. The transit time is one day. This is one of CMA CGM’s many rail-related developments in European rail since the company has recently been busy developing more rail products in Spain.
The Rotterdam-Duisburg shuttle train is not new. It was first launched in 2019 when CMA CGM commenced its Rhine Valley Rail project. With this service, the company aimed to connect the port of Rotterdam with crucial German inland destinations, including Duisburg, Dortmund and Ludwigshafen.
All three rail connections remain active within CMA CGM’s network, while the company also maintains barge services on the same routes. The upgrade for Duisburg comes as a natural response to the hub’s development which is the leading logistics location in the Ruhr area and can accommodate further rail or barge connections in the region.
Two new intermodal China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) services were launched on 4th July. One originates from Langfang city, near Beijing, while the other is from Guangzhou city. These two services have the potential to connect Central Asia with two Chinese economic zones: the Beijing area and the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
Both routes will cross Kyrgyzstan and ultimately reach Tashkent in Uzbekistan, but they utilise different modal combinations. For the route departing from Beijing, the train will first arrive at the Kashgar area in Xinjiang. From there, the cargo will be reloaded onto trucks and enter Kyrgyzstan via the Irkeshtam border crossing. Once the trucks reach Osh in Kyrgyzstan, they will be reloaded onto trains again and shipped to the final destination, Tashkent. This route is estimated to deliver the goods in 12 days, covering a distance of 6,000 kilometres.
The route departing from Guangzhou has only one modal switch. The train will carry the goods to the same Xinjiang border crossing, Irkeshtam, and from there, the cargo will continue the rest of the journey via trucks only. This route will take around 16 days. These two new routes serve as alternatives to the highly anticipated CKU railway, and this alternative option was already in place last year.
CKU corridor on the move
As early as July of last year, the CKU rail-road intermodal route was already tested. In November, a new CKU rail-road service was launched from Xinjiang, China to Namangan, Uzbekistan. Part of the CKU intermodal service in November operated on a fixed timetable, ensuring that goods were delivered according to a planned schedule. However, this fixed timetable was only applicable to the rail service section, specifically for the portion before the cargo enters Kyrgyzstan from China. Nevertheless, the corridor is now on the move, with the volume of goods growing as more services are developed.
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How 5 entrepreneurs will use Amazon Business' first-ever Small Business Grants to make a difference in their communities
Amazon Business awarded more than $250,000 in funds and prizes to growing small businesses during its inaugural Small Business Month.
Amazon's store for smart business buying, Amazon Business, is committed to the growth of small businesses. In 2022 Amazon Business launched its Small Business Grants to celebrate small businesses and entrepreneurs making an impact in communities across the U.S.
The winners received grants of up to $25,000 each and additional prizes, like an annual Business Prime membership, Ring security kits, and Amazon Web Services credits and training benefits. Amazon Business customers with an annual revenue of $1 million or less were eligible. The grand prize winner and four finalists were selected by fellow Amazon Business customers from more than 19,000 applicants.
The grant winners are inspiring innovation and driving meaningful impact in their communities. They are promoting sustainable business models and providing access to education in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math), along with music and sports. Meet the winning small business owners below, and learn how they're making a difference.
Grand Prize Recipient
Nicole Greggs, president and owner of MusicMakers! Summer Camp
Based in Coral Springs, Florida, MusicMakers! Summer Camp seeks to develop musicianship, character, and respect for others within a safe and secure environment. Nicole Greggs, president and owner of MusicMakers!, founded the organization 25 years ago with the goal to ignite a lifelong interest in music-making and an informed appreciation of the value and impact of music education.
With aging musical instruments and increased enrollment in their programs, Greggs and the MusicMakers! team are using their $25,000 grant to buy new instruments and improve their website, social media, and administration—all of which will help the staff of seven continue to deliver high-quality music education to their students.
"I never dreamed my company could be recognized for an award this large,” Greggs said. “I am thrilled that going forward we will be able to help even more people with better instruments and services, and that our company's mission has been validated. This award means the world to us."
Finalist: Nikisha Alcindor, founder of STEM Educational Institute
The STEM Educational Institute, founded by Nikisha Alcindor, provides programming that gives underrepresented high school students throughout New York City the technological skills they need to enter today's workforce. The institute will use its $20,000 grant to build out its learning module system and increase access to coding, financial literacy, and mental health services—along with supporting additional student scholarships.
“Every day, thousands of under-resourced students receive inadequate STEM education, financial literacy, and mental health resources,” said Alcindor. “As a finalist of the Amazon Business Small Business Grant, the STEM Educational Institute will be able to provide valuable resources for youth to have a brighter future and become the future pipeline of diverse business leaders.”
Finalist: Nomie Hamid, chef and owner of Virtual X Kitchen
Virtual X Kitchen is a sustainable virtual kitchen located in College Park, Maryland. Virtual X Kitchen's chef and owner, Nomie Hamid, founded his business to create an accessible way for people to open a restaurant without the costs of maintaining their own storefront. By maximizing kitchen space and hosting multiple restaurants, the business model reduces waste, saves space, and gives customers multiple restaurant offerings from one location with a seamless ordering experience.
Virtual X Kitchen will use its $20,000 grant to bring its sustainable model to more people in the community through a more robust operations and marketing budget.
“We are so grateful for the opportunity that this grant has provided our business,” Hamid said. “Thank you to everyone that voted! It has been amazing to see how far Virtual X Kitchen has come since our launch a little over a year ago, and we can't wait to see how far it will go.”
Finalist: Max Steitz and Franziska Trautmann, founders of Glass Half Full
Founded by Max Steitz and Franziska Trautmann, New Orleans-based Glass Half Full transforms recycled glass into sand and glass cullet, which is used in coastal restoration projects, disaster relief efforts, new glass products etc. The small business also promotes environmental equality and creates green jobs for the local economy.
The company has recycled more than 2.5 million pounds of glass from more than 10,000 recyclers across the state so far. The company will use its $20,000 Small Business Grant to purchase the necessary machinery and equipment to keep its primarily volunteer-run business up and running.
“On behalf of the entire Glass Half Full team and community, we're beyond grateful to have received this small business grant,” Steitz said. “This opportunity will enable us to expand our mission and impact, and recycle more glass than ever. Thank you to everyone who voted for Glass Half Full—we're so thankful for your support.”
Finalist: Addison Staples, founder of Aces in Motion
Based in Gainesville, Florida, the nonprofit Aces in Motion is a sports-based, after-school youth development program led by Addison Staples. Its mission is to support the local community's under-resourced youth by providing academic assistance and life skills through tennis.
With the $20,000 Small Business Grant, Aces In Motion will supply students and volunteer staff with everyday necessities to promote healthy eating habits and provide hygiene products for students without access to the items they need.
“We at Aces in Motion are so grateful to be a recipient of Amazon Business' Small Business Grant,” said Staples. “These funds mean so much to our organization and the families we partner with. Our goal is to provide resources and support to our students and their needs, including purchasing healthy snacks and personal hygiene products to those families living in poverty, helping close the economic gap within our community. Thank you!”
