China-Armenia multimodal route postponed amid Middle East crisis

PanARMENIAN.Net - The activation of a new multimodal trade route from China to Armenia has been postponed due to the escalation in Iran-Israel tensions. This update was provided by Karen Ivanov, Vice President of the Armenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as reported by Sputnik Armenia.

Originally scheduled to launch in June, the route was to pass through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. “An agreement between the parties was signed. We planned to dispatch the first container train from Xi’an to Yerevan after June 20. However, amid the worsening Iran-Israel conflict, the shipment was canceled, as cargo cannot transit through Iranian territory,” Ivanov explained.

The route is described as multimodal, meaning it involves both sea and land freight operations. The Armenian side initiated the project, while Kazakhstan is responsible for its technical coordination. Under the plan, the container train from China would reach Kazakhstan, then proceed to Turkmenistan and cross into Iran, arriving at the Julfa terminal station. There, containers would be unloaded and the goods would be transported by truck to Yerevan.

The full journey from China to Armenia via this route was expected to take approximately 25 days. Despite being more expensive than sea transport, it was deemed more economically efficient than road transport.

Currently, imports from China to Armenia primarily follow two routes: either through the UAE and Iran via the port of Bandar Abbas, or by sea around Africa and into the Mediterranean via the Cape of Good Hope.