Container volumes rise in Los Angeles
In April 2025, the Port of Los Angeles handled 842,806 TEUs, marking a 9.4% increase compared to the same month in 2024. Over the first four months of the year, throughput reached 3,346,853 TEUs, up 6.2%. Full imports stood at 439,230 TEUs (+5%), while exports dropped to 128,394 TEUs (-3%). Empty container traffic surged by 25%, reaching 275,183 units. Executive director Gene Seroka noted that despite the current global trade slowdown due to tariffs, the port will invest 230 million dollars in infrastructure projects during the next fiscal year.
Rohlig Suus opens branch in Kyiv
Polish company Rohlig Suus Logistics has inaugurated a new branch in Ukraine, based in Kyiv, consolidating its expansion in Central and Eastern Europe. Already active in the country for several years, the company now offers full local services in road, rail, air and sea transport, intermodal solutions and customs clearance. Described as “strategic” by CEO Piotr Iwo Chmielewski, the initiative aims to support Ukraine’s economic reconstruction. With over 40 locations and 2,500 employees, Suus is now present in eight countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Hungary and Kazakhstan.
Rail link between Prague and Kazakhstan for the automotive sector
Nurminen Logistics has launched a regular block train service from the Czech Republic to Kazakhstan to supply Allur Company’s plant in Kostanay, the country’s largest facility for the production of Škoda, Chevrolet and Kia vehicles. The first test train, organised in cooperation with Red Star Logistics, departed in January. Monthly shipments now transport car components in 40-foot HC containers. The route follows the Trans-Caspian corridor, bypassing Russia, and combines rail and maritime transport.
Netherlands approves 740-metre trains but rejects track access fee cuts
The Dutch parliament has approved a proposal to extend freight train lengths to 740 metres in a bid to make rail transport more efficient. However, a second proposal aimed at reducing access charges for the rail network failed to gain the necessary support and was rejected.
EU investigates state aid to Transportes Royo
Brussels has launched an investigation into the €3.6 million in public funding granted to Transportes Royo for the construction of the Intermodal Logistics Centre in La Rioja, located in Agoncillo. The European Commission’s “preliminary findings”, based on a complaint filed by the Spanish road hauliers’ association CETM, raise concerns about the compatibility of the aid with EU competition rules. The subsidy, provided by the Fundación Ciudad del Envase y el Embalaje, has been described by CETM as “disguised public support” for a private project. Possible remedies outlined by Brussels include a potential recovery of the aid. No decision deadline has yet been announced.
Arkas invests in four new 3,100 TEU containerships
Turkish shipping company Arkas has ordered four new 3,100 TEU containerships from Chinese yard CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard, with options for a further two vessels. Each ship is valued at around 50 million dollars and will be delivered in 2028, in line with a previous order for six 4,300 TEU vessels from the same yard. Supported by Chinese leasing arrangements, the deal could bring the Arkas fleet to 60 ships, with total investment exceeding 650 million dollars.
Canadian truck driver sentenced to ten years for road accident
Jagmeet Grewal, a 58-year-old Canadian truck driver, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the 5 August 2019 crash on Highway 440 in Laval, Québec, in which four people died and four others were injured. Found guilty of criminal negligence in February 2024, Grewal was deemed unfit to drive but had obtained his licence due to an administrative error. He had also falsified documents and lied to his employer. Judge Yanick Laramée emphasised the disregard for human life, handing down a severe sentence.
