Russian, German firms in deal to attract business from China: report

The deal between Russian railway company RZD Logistics and Germany’s DB Cargo could see cargo shipments from China redirected to the Russian seaports of Kaliningrad and St. Petersburg and subsequently to German ports while circumventing Poland, Poland’s Gazeta Polska Codziennie daily has reported.

Meanwhile, the first ever direct freight train from China to Western Europe has arrived at the Belgian port of Antwerp as part of China’s ambitious New Silk Road project, according to the Polish newspaper.

The train, loaded with a cargo of 34 containers, left the Chinese port of Tangshan on April 26 and took 16 days to travel a distance of 11,000 kilometres through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland and Germany, according to Gazeta Polska Codziennie.

This marked the first ever such shipment from China to Western Europe as part of the New Silk Road project, which seeks to revive the trade routes of the old Silk Road from Asia to Europe, the daily reported.

It added that many European carriers, including the Polish State Railways (PKP), are hoping to benefit from increased business with China.

However, the Russian-German deal may mean that the Polish carrier will lose a piece of the pie, according to Gazeta Polska Codziennie.

The deal sends a warning message to Poland amid plans to benefit from trade with China under the New Silk Road project, the daily said, citing experts.

Polish Deputy Agriculture Minister Jacek Bogucki is this week scheduled to hold talks in Beijing on opening the Chinese market to products from Poland.

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Source: dorzeczy.pl, Gazeta Polska Codziennie