A 60-container train with compound fertilizers made by Gomel Chemical Plant departed from Gomel to China on 31 May, BelTA has learned.

The train will follow the route Tsentrolit (Belarus) - Xianguojigang (China) through the territory of Belarus and Russia via the Zabaikalsk - Manchuria border crossing. The journey will be two weeks and more than 7,000km long.

"Today is a big day. We are launching the fifth train from Gomel Oblast to the People's Republic of China carrying fertilizers made by Gomel Chemical Plant, which happened for the first time in the history of the region," said Roman Shorokhov, deputy director of the Gomel branch of the Belarusian logistics operator Beltamozhservice. According to him, this is the most important project implemented jointly with the transport and forwarding subsidiary Gomelzheldortrans and other companies.

Roman Shorokhov added that plans are in place to set up a hub for containers at Gomelzheldortrans, the official freight forwarder of Belarusian Railways.

"This train carrying fertilizer to China is the first one and we hope that it will also carry an import cargo for the needs of enterprises in Gomel Oblast and other regions on its way back," Roman Shorokhov said.

The list of possible deliveries to Belarus is still being worked out. "Logistics is a complex discipline. When a train goes back and forth with cargo, logistics becomes cheaper. Accordingly so do goods for our enterprises and individual consumers," Roman Shorokhov emphasized.

"In September 2022, we did trial runs and send two containers to our Chinese partners. Today we are shipping 60 containers of fertilizers – nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium. We are ready for further cooperation. We are ready to send two such container trains every month," added Irina Lapitskaya, Acting Deputy Director for Commercial Affairs of Gomel Chemical Plant.

BelTA – News from Belarus