North-South Corridor (INSTC)
The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long, multi-modal transport corridor for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. It includes a network of ship, rail, and road transport modes.
It was established in 2000 with the objective of increasing trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan and Bandar Anzali, as well as other cities and ports along the corridor. Participant countries aim to digitalise the process and reduce costs.
INSTC has gained importance this year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started on February 24, 2022. Western sanctions against Russia quickly followed and European and U.S. markets are now closed to most Russian products. Moscow has responded by pivoting its import and export trade south and east. Iran, India and China are identified as key markets to be expanded in the strategy to replace European trade.
Ports Europe: Updated October 18, 2022
Aktau grain terminal stake to be sold
Aktau, Kazakhstan (PortSEurope) July 9, 2023 – A stake in the grain terminal in Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea ports port of Aktau, the Aktau Marine Northern...
Russia tries to bypass Kazakhstan for a new cargo corridor from Kyrgyzstan
Bishkek, Kyrgistan (PortSEurope) July 5, 2023 – Russia and Kyrgyzstan will soon open a new transport corridor bypassing Kazakhstan, across Uzbekistan and...
Russia and China build sanctions-busting rail bridge in the Far East
Mohe, China (PortSEurope) July 3, 2023 – As a result of Western sanctions, Russia is fast becoming dependent on China for everything it was previously...
Russia and Iran: Sanctions busting in focus during port visit
Astrakhan, Russia (PortSEurope) July 3, 2023 – Russia and Iran, the two most sanctioned countries in the world, continue their attempts to improve cargo...
Sanctions-busting port of Makhachkala to be privatised by September
Makhachkala, Russia (PortSEurope) July 3, 2023 – The long delayed privatisation of Russia’s Caspian Sea port of Makhachkala is to be completed by the end...
Strong cargo figures in Russia’s Rostov and Azov ports
Rostov-on-Don, Russia (PortSEurope) July 3, 2023 – In the ports of Rostov-on-Don (Don River) and Azov (Azov Sea) cargo turnover in the first five months of...
Heavy winter cargo workload for Azov ports
Azov, Russia (PortSEurope) July 2, 2023 – During the winter navigation period (December 6, 2022-March 10, 2023), 3,329 vessels were processed by the...
Iran and Russia: The game of (free) zones
Tehran (PortSEurope) June 28, 2023 – Iran and Russia will sign a memorandum for establishing mutual free economic zones (FEZ, SEZ – special economic...
Iran completes one more section of railway from Strait of Hormuz to Caspian Sea
Rasht, Iran (PortSEurope)June 27, 2023 – The long-delayed railway 160 km section between Qazvin and Rasht in Iran will become operational by early July,...
Discrepancies in financing Russia’s inland waterways
Moscow, Russia (PortSEurope) June 26, 2023 – The deficit of funds in Russia’s budget for the maintenance of inland waterways (IWW) and navigational...
Russia begs Iran for Volga River dredging help
Astrakhan, Russia (PortSEurope) June 26, 2023 – Sanctions-hit Russia, unable to complete the critically important dredging of the Volga-Caspian Sea...
Rostov-on-Don and port controlled by mutinous Russian mercenary fighters
Rostov-on-Don, Russia (PortSEurope) June 24, 2023 – Mutinous Russian mercenary fighters from the Wagner private army have full control over the...
Russian Railways keeps investing in cargo terminals along the INSTC
Volzhsky, Russia (PortSEurope) June 22, 2023 – Russian Railways (RZD) continues its investment drive along the International North-South Transport...
New logistics complex in Novorossiysk port
Novorossiysk, Russia (PortSEurope) June 22, 2023 – A 4.2 billion rubles (45.6 million euros) logistics complex will be built by the summer of 2024 in...
Talks start over Astrakhan-Turkmenbashi shipping service
St. Petersburg, Russia (PortSEurope) June 20, 2023 – Astrakhan shipping companies are interested in setting up a shipping line to operate a service with...
Sanctions: Huge increase in Russian exports to India
St. Petersburg, Russia (PortSEurope) June 20, 2023 – Russia became the second largest supplier of goods to India exporting $15.5 billion worth of goods,...
FESCO’s business now depends on China
St. Petersburg, Russia (PortSEurope) June 19, 2023 – The Chinese direction occupies the main share of Russian logistics giant FESCO transport group...
FESCO supports development of the Makhachkala Commercial Sea Port
Makhachkala, Russia (PortSEurope) June 15, 2023 – On June 9, a meeting of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) was held in the...
Aktau declares a state of emergency – critically low level of Caspian
Aktau, Kazakhstan (PortSEurope) June 13, 2023 – The city officials in Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea port of Aktau declared a state of emergency over the...
Kazakhstan’s Aktau, Kuryk and Bautino registered in SEZ
Aktau, Kazakhstan (PortSEurope) June 12, 2023 – Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea ports of Aktau and Kuryk (Quryq) were registered by the government as...