Disruptions along the Iron Silk Road

Container terminal in Malaszewicze on the border between Belarus and Poland.

In the Corona pandemic, companies have discovered rail as an alternative for transporting goods from China to Europe. However, Russia’s war in Ukraine means that smooth transportation is now in question. True, the tracks have not been affected by the fighting. But logistics companies fear the sanctions and worry about insurance coverage.

The „Iron Silk Road“ has long since become more than a romantic idea, it has become a reality in cargo transport between China and Europe. The pandemic even brought a real boom to rail transport. In 2021, goods worth almost €70 billion were transported from East to West by rail – 50 percent more than in 2020, and ten times as much as in 2016. The containers mainly contain machine parts, electronics, and other goods such as metal products, chemical products and clothing.

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