ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 25. Kazakhstan, China, and Russia will sign an Agreement on the creation of a Unified Digital Platform on the China-Kazakhstan-Russia (UDP) route as part of the upcoming Kazakh-Chinese Business Council, scheduled for early July 2024, Trend reports.
According to Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ, a national company), the UDP will become an integrated, seamless system that combines customs clearance processes, e-commerce, and other functions. It will significantly simplify logistics, promote the development of e-commerce, simplify customs procedures, reduce trade barriers, and increase the transparency and efficiency of supply chains.
The agreement on the creation of the UDP was developed by the joint venture CRK Terminal LLC, created by KTZ Express (Kazakhstan), Slavtrans-Service (Russia), and Xi'an Free Trade Port (China).
The authorized bodies of the states participating in the route will be involved in the development and implementation of the project.
CRK Terminal plans to involve the largest marketplaces in this initiative, including Alibaba, Pindouoduo, JD, and 1688.com.
Meanwhile, the volume of transit cargo transportation by rail through Kazakhstan in the China-Russia direction and back amounted to 3.8 million tons in 2023. This is 35 percent more than in 2022.
At the same time, in the first quarter of 2024, transit traffic in the China-Russia-China direction remains at the 2023 level of 900,000 tons.