Red Sea Crisis Spurring Demand for Rail Freight via Russia – Report
The Houthi rebel attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have spurred burgeoning interest in alternative routes such as the China-Europe rail route that runs through Russia’s Far East, CNBC reported on this week.
Companies that organize the shipment of goods have registered a sharp increase in enquiries and bookings for the route, according to the article. Transit via rail is attractive to shippers because it is cheaper than air freight and quicker than using ocean transportation.
RailGate Europe, which transports goods including furniture, toys, clothes, and automotive parts from China through Russia to European countries, told CNBC that the transit time is “significantly better” than via ocean. The journey takes between 14 and 25 days depending on its origin and destination, according to the company’s chief business development officer, Julija Sciglaite.
However, some firms have been raising concerns about sending goods via rail through Russia. “Since [the] war in Ukraine started, many companies were afraid to deliver their cargos via Russia as train passes [through] part of Russian territory,” Sciglaite told CNBC.
“Since [the] war started, [the] number of bookings decreased significantly via Russia, but within [the] last year, this route is recovering due to good transit time and prices,” she said, adding that demand for rail transit had spiked since the Houthis started attacking vessels in the Red Sea.
Bookings for the China-Europe rail route were up 37% over the past four weeks, according to Igor Tambaca, the managing director of the Dutch logistics company Rail Bridge Cargo. “The demand for rail exploded,” he told the outlet, adding this is due to the Red Sea disruption and the Lunar New Year.
According to the report, the EU permits sanctioned goods to be moved via rail through Russia, whereas road transport of sanctioned products is banned. Military goods cannot be transported through Russia at all, CNBC wrote.
Trudeau Humiliated As Canadian Doctors Rise Up and Reject WEF Euthanazia Program
Justin Trudeau was left reeling last week after the Canadian parliament voted to halt his WEF program to euthanize mentally ill people, following strong backlash from thousands of doctors. The WEF-infiltrated government in Canada offers […]
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Democrats To Introduce ‘Pet Tax’ for Citizens Who Refuse To Euthanize Their Healthy Pets
Democrats have announced plans to introduce an expensive ‘pet tax’ for citizens who refuse to euthanize their healthy pets as part of the WEF’s Net Zero agenda. Last year, the WEF urged governments around the […]
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Slovakia Prime Minister Orders Urgent Investigation Into Millions of mRNA Deaths
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has ordered an urgent investigation into the millions of mRNA vaccine deaths that has occurred since the COVID jab rollout. In a fiery speech before the European Parliament last week, […]
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Thailand Issues Warning About COVID Jabs: ‘They Cause Cancer and Brain Tumours’
The mainstream media in Thailand is now urging the public to think twice before getting the COVID-19 vaccines, warning that mRNA jabs result in cancer, brain tumors and death for many recipients. The Bangkok Post recently published a […]
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US-Led Coalition Strikes 36 Houthi Targets in Yemeni Territory – Joint Statement
The US-led coalition conducted strikes on 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen on Saturday in response to the movement’s continued attacks against international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the coalition said in a joint statement, issued by the Pentagon.
“Today, at the direction of their respective governments, the militaries of the United States and United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand conducted an additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen in response to the Houthis’ continued attacks against international and commercial shipping as well as naval vessels transiting the Red Sea,” the statement read.
The coalition added that Saturday’s strikes “specifically targeted sites associated with the Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars” and are intended to “disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, and the lives of innocent mariners.”
“The Houthis’ now more than 30 attacks on commercial vessels and naval vessels since mid-November constitute an international challenge,” the statement said, adding that the coalition remains “committed to protecting freedom of navigation and international commerce and holding the Houthis accountable for their illegal and unjustifiable attacks on commercial shipping and naval vessels.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement released by the Pentagon on Saturday that the strikes “are intended to further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to conduct their reckless and destabilizing attacks against U.S. and international vessels lawfully transiting the Red Sea.”
Austin also said that “this collective action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will continue to bear further consequences if they do not end their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels,” adding that the coalition of forces “will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed Saturday that the UK military engaged “a third wave of proportionate and targeted strikes” against the Houthis, adding that these were “not an escalation” and were designed to “protect innocent lives and preserve freedom of navigation.”
“The Royal Air Force engaged in a third wave of proportionate and targeted strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. We acted alongside our US allies, with the support of many international partners, in self-defence and in accordance with international law. This is not an escalation. We have already successfully targeted launchers and storage sites involved in Houthi attacks, and I am confident that our latest strikes have further degraded the Houthis’ capabilities,” The Guardian quoted Shapps as saying.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels said in November that they would attack any Israeli-linked or Israeli-bound ships passing through the Red Sea in retaliation for the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, leading the US to announce the creation of a multinational operation to secure navigation in the area. The US and the UK have launched multiple strikes against Houthi positions in a bid to degrade their ability to target commercial vessels.