BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 1.
Container transportation costs across the Caspian Sea increased in
September compared with August, the international price reporting
agency Argus reported on September 30.


According to the agency, tariffs have been rising
since the beginning of the year amid concerns over disruptions to
container supplies along alternative maritime routes from China to
Europe due to instability in the Middle East.


Higher fuel costs are also contributing to the
increase in transportation costs.


“Container carriers have faced a sharp increase in
bunker fuel prices in the Caspian and Black seas, which has led to
higher freight rates. In addition, not all shipowners are currently
willing to send their fleets to the southern Black Sea,” Argus
quoted one of the shippers as saying.


According to market participants, a more significant
increase in transportation tariffs across the Caspian Sea is being
constrained by growing competition from alternative routes for
container deliveries from China, including the Northern Sea
Route.


According to Argus, the cost of transporting a
40-foot high-cube container (40HC) from Xi'an to Alat/Absheron
(Baku) increased to $6,750-$7,200/40HC in September from
$6,700-$7,100/40HC a month earlier.


Freight forwarders estimate that transportation of
containerized cargo by smaller operators can cost an additional
5%-10%. In September, some carriers estimated the cost of
delivering containers from Xi'an to Absheron at
$6,800-$7,300/40HC.







Meanwhile, rates for transporting containers from
Xi'an to terminals in Tbilisi and Poti stood at $6,900-$7,200/40HC
in September, unchanged from the previous month, according to
carriers.


The average transit time for container trains along
the Xi'an - Altynkol - Aktau - Alat - Absheron route was 14-19 days
in September, unchanged from the previous month, carriers said.


According to the agency, the cost of transportation
from Xi'an to the Turkish ports of Ambarli and Mersin via
Absheron/Alyat increased to $7,200-$8,000/40HC in September from
$7,200-$7,900/40HC a month earlier.


The cost of transporting containers to Ambarli, a
port located within Istanbul, was estimated at rates at the lower
end of the range. The difference in rates between Ambarli and
Mersin, located on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, may amount to
$200-$300/40HC.


“The number of idle empty containers in Azerbaijan,
Georgia and Kazakhstan remained at 3,500-3,700 units by the end of
September, unchanged from August,” the agency said.