International Transport Research Articles

Transit potential of the Republic of Belarus: state and opportunities

The article reflects the results of the analysis of the transit potential of Belarus. It was noted that with the introduction of the sanctions regime the development of transit potential in the republic is currently carried out mainly in the directions of development of railway and automotive transport systems. The state and trends of development of the international transport and logistics market and cargo transportation are examined. Special attention is paid to the role of legal regulation of border crossing conditions and simplification of customs administration procedures in the Republic of Belarus. It has been determined that the Belarusian Mainline has the necessary reserves of throughput and carrying capacity in the organization of transit traffic. The possibilities and problems of the transit cargo transportation process in the state of export-import restrictions imposed against Belarusian economic entities are revealed. The attention is drawn to the active reorientation of cargo transportation by the Republic of Belarus and the establishment of new routes, the need for comprehensive and continuous improvement of the transit attractiveness of the country, taking into account the influence of both internal and external factors.

Legal Analysis of the Establishment of Exclusion Zones for Submarines in Indonesia’s Archipelagic Sea Lanes

The Indonesian Archipelagic Sea Lanes (IASLs) are critical to international shipping and modern global trade, which depends on unobstructed access through vital maritime routes, including archipelagic sea lanes (ASLs). However, these lanes represent a strategic vulnerability for Indonesia as an archipelagic state during armed conflict, particularly when submarines, highly stealthy warships, are allowed submerged passage. This article examines the legal framework governing submerged transit by neutral submarines within belligerent ASLs during armed conflict. It identifies gaps in the existing law and proposes the establishment of an underwater exclusion zone for submarines as a potential solution, assessing its legality under international law. The article draws three primary conclusions. First, there is a legal lacuna regarding the permissibility of submerged submarine navigation in ASLs when the archipelagic state is at war. Second, the establishment of exclusion zones in ASLs by a belligerent coastal state is lawful under international law, although ambiguity remains about whether access for neutral shipping is mandatory. Third, an underwater exclusion zone is legally permissible, provided neutral submarines are granted a means of passage.

The Strategic Role of Central Asia in a Changing World Order: Resources, Logistics, and Competition

The article examines the key geopolitical factors influencing the competitive geo-economic dynamics in Central Asia, with a particular focus on the roles and political priorities of external actors. Central Asia, with its key geographic position on the Eurasian continent, occupies a strategic position in the foreign policy agendas of Russia and China, driven by both security and economic considerations. The United States, the European Union (EU), and Turkey also maintain substantial engagement in the region. Hence, the article analyzes the policies of these external actors in Central Asia, highlighting how, in the context of an evolving global order, their approaches differ significantly and produce varied effects on the region’s political stability and developmental trajectories. In this context, the study examines how transport and logistics policies affect the foreign policies of Central Asian states and what strategic issues these states are trying to resolve by participating in regional and international transport routes. The article further addresses key aspects related to the region’s long-term geopolitical and geo-economic prospects. It also analyzes the degree of engagement by South Caucasus countries, especially Azerbaijan and Georgia, in Central Asia’s transport and logistics networks, along with the broader infrastructural linkages between the two regions.

Resilience and competitiveness analysis of the crude oil shipping network: identification of crucial nodes and impact of disruptions

The predominant method of transporting crude oil is by sea, with numerous countries prioritizing energy transportation and ensuring the unimpeded passage of vessels through designated maritime channels. However, the efficacy of international shipping routes is subject to numerous threats and challenges, which have the potential to severely impact or even halt shipping operations. This paper proposes a directed weighted topology model, utilizing ship AIS data and capacity scales, integrating complex network models with social network analysis techniques, to evaluate the operation of the crude oil shipping network under uncertain conditions. The assessment of network topology involves the application of various attack strategies to calculate characteristic indicators of the network and a systematic review of the results. The results indicate that the crude oil shipping network is particularly vulnerable to deliberate attacks, with degree and betweenness attacks demonstrating a higher potential for disrupting the network. It is notable that, upon the occurrence of a certain level of attack intensity, specific nodes (or channels) may become inoperable, necessitating the selection of alternative routes or reassessment of supply sources. Furthermore, this research establishes a competitiveness and security index to quantitatively identify the crucial nodes within the crude oil shipping network. The findings of this study are of considerable practical and strategic significance, insofar as they facilitate a more profound comprehension of the resilience of the maritime energy transportation framework, and of the improvement of its role in supporting national economic and social development.

Danube River: Hydrological Features and Risk Assessment with a Focus on Navigation and Monitoring Frameworks

Danube River represents a critical axis of ecological and economic importance for the countries along its course. From this perspective, this paper aims to assess the most significant characteristics of the river and of its main tributaries, as well as its impact on the environmental sustainability and socio-economic development. Navigation and the economic contribution of the Danube River are the key issues of this work, emphasizing its importance as an international transport artery that facilitates trade and tourism, and develops the energy industry through hydropower plants. The study includes an analysis of the volume of goods transported from 2019 to 2023, as well as an analysis of the goods traffic in the busiest port on the Danube. Furthermore, climate change affects the hydrological regime of the Danube, as well as the ecosystems, economy, and energy security of the riparian countries. Main impacts include changes in the hydrological regime, increased frequency of droughts and floods, reduced water quality, deterioration of biodiversity, and disruption of the economic activities dependent on the river, such as navigation, agriculture, and hydropower production. Thus, hydrological risks and challenges are investigated, focusing on the extreme events of the last two decades and the awareness of their repercussions. In this context, the national and international institutions responsible for monitoring and managing the Danube are presented, and their role in promoting a sustainable river policy is explored. Methods and technologies are shown to be essential tools for monitoring and prediction studies. The Danube includes an extensive network of hydrometric stations that help to prevent and manage the most significant risks. Finally, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the development of the hydrological studies was conducted, highlighting the potential of the river.

COMPARISON OF ADMIRALTY AND LEAST-SQUARE METHODS FOR TIDAL ANALYSIS IN CILACAP

The Cilacap coast borders the Indian Ocean, rendering it a strategic site for both international and national shipping that requires knowledge of tidal characteristics. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of tides in Cilacap Waters utilizing two methodologies: Admiralty and Least Squares. The tidal data utilized is derived from BMKG Cilacap observations over a span of 29 days in December 2022. The analysis conducted aims to compute the harmonic constant, identify the type of tides, and ascertain the projected sea level elevation. The results of the analysis show that the harmonic constant M2 has the greatest influence on the tidal pattern. The identified tidal type is a mixed double daily inclination with formzahl values of 0.405 (Admiralty) and 0.394 (Least Square). The maximum water level elevation (HHWL) value based on the Admiralty method was 227 cm, and the least squares method was 218 cm, while the minimum water level (LLWL) values are -7.6 cm and 1.4 cm. Overall, the least squares method provides more accurate and detailed results than the Admiralty method. This research is expected to support various activities in coastal areas, such as navigation, harbor development, and mitigation.

Multiple Approaches Towards Merger Control: How to Achieve Regulatory Convergence? A Global Perspective on the Korean Air-Asiana Airlines Merger

This paper contains a comparative analysis of five jurisdictions that implemented merger remedies in the Korean Air-Asiana Airlines merger case. It also examines how the European Union (EU) and United States of America (US) air transport competition and antitrust regulations, including rules on merger control, have been transplanted and applied by other jurisdictions. Currently, the international air transport industry lacks a foundation for regulatory convergence in these areas, which are, or should be, subject to the relevant theories and methods in order to achieve a more harmonized approach. In that context, the present paper specifically identifies relevant market definitions, market power assessments, and merger remedies in each of the five jurisdictions. It is concluded that the traditional divergent approaches are in urgent need of a common stance on the aforementioned, and other definitions and concepts.

International transport-related carbon footprint and traveler’s profile in a travel clinic before and after COVID-19

The carbon footprint of the tourism sector represents around 8% of global emission, almost half of which are linked to transport. COVID-19 has had a strong impact on international travel. During the pandemic, the desirability of a profound change in society has been at the center of debates. Indeed, while the COVID-19 pandemic brought travel and tourism to a halt, it might also have acted as a catalyst and accelerated trends toward more sustainable tourism. Therefore, the question of the influence of the pandemic on behavioral developments related to travel arises. The objective of this study is to describe the effects of the pandemic on travel by comparing pre- and post-pandemic data from a travel clinic. In our clinic, the proportion of tourists among travelers remained similar before and after the pandemic. After the pandemic, people traveled for significantly shorter periods. The carbon footprint of passenger international transport remains > 2.5 tons of CO<sub>2</sub>-eq after COVID-19. As a result, practices are almost back to pre-pandemic levels. It would be interesting to follow the evolution of the phenomenon over time, by looking at the travel modalities (accommodation, food, local activities) and the ecological sensitivity of travelers.

Development and feasibility of an approach utilizing modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and ethylene scrubbing to allow extended international transport and marketing of tree-ripe mangos

Development and feasibility of an approach utilizing modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and ethylene scrubbing to allow extended international transport and marketing of tree-ripe mangos

How Does the International Transport Network Affect Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from the China-Europe Railway Express

How Does the International Transport Network Affect Corporate Green Innovation: Evidence from the China-Europe Railway Express

AGRICULTURAL EXPORTS OF UKRAINE IN THE CONDITIONS OF WAR AND ONE-SIDED SANCTIONS IMPOSED BY NEIGHBOURING EU СОUNTRIES

The article outlines the main problems of agricultural exports in the context of the blockade of seaports, the breakdown of existing supply chains, and a significant increase in logistics costs due to the shutdown of road checkpoints. It also identifies the main trends in foreign trade in agricultural products, in particularly grain crops. The author examines legislative changes that have affected the procedure for export-import operations involving domestic business entities. In chronological order, the institutional and measures taken by the European Union and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine aimed at improving the efficiency of international road transport of agricultural products are described. In order to assess the effectiveness of the existing road checkpoints, it is first necessary to consider both the planned and actual throughput capacity in the context of martial law conditions. In this respect, an analysis of the requirements set by Poland, Slovakia and Hungary reveals a certain inconsistency with the legislative directives of the European Parliament on exports from Ukraine. It may therefore be concluded that these requirements are primarily intended to prevent the entry of Ukrainian agricultural products into their territory, rather than as a genuine condition for their export. It also suggests that it might be beneficial to consider ways of strengthening internal veterinary and phytosanitary control measures. This is particularly relevant in light of the fact that in 2022 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to cancel state supervision measures under martial law, including those relating to agricultural products. This decision was taken against the background of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, which caused significant losses to agricultural enterprises. It is therefore important to ensure that food security is maintained not only in Ukraine but also in countries exporting domestic agricultural products. The paper suggests that it might be beneficial to consider introducing a European system of rapid response to reports of direct or indirect risks to human health posed by food or animal feed. Such a system could potentially protect consumers from substandard products, while also enabling authorities to remove spoiled products from the market in a short time frame.

Altynkol station as an important factor in the development of the transit potential of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Currently, international railway corridors are becoming important channels for transporting cargo between different countries. The Eurasian transport hub consists of several international highways crossing the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the highways together with the railway network form a transport and logistics system of terminal traffic. The international highways ‘Khorgos-Almaty’ is the starting point of connection with the motorway network ‘Western China-Western Europe’, which promotes mutual cooperation between the countries. Altynkol station is one of the main links of the international transport corridor ‘New Silk Road’. In this regard, the study of existing problems and prospects of the station becomes especially relevant in the framework of the ‘One Belt One Road’ strategy promoted by the People’s Republic of China. The purpose of the article is to study the existing problems of logistics freight movement in the international railway corridor China-Kazakhstan through the station Altynkol, as well as the search for ways to improve the efficiency of freight traffic. The originality of the study lies in a comprehensive approach to analysing the current state of Altynkol station’s operations on the basis of sample data, which allowed to identify problems and barriers to the development of border crossing and digital technologies.

Status Quo and Future Prospects of China’s Weather Routing Services for Ocean-Going Business Vessels

The global shipping industry is evolving towards deep integration of digital transformation, intelligent upgrading, and green development. Meanwhile, recent geopolitical shifts have introduced heightened uncertainties into international shipping, compounding the challenges and escalating the demands for weather routing services for ocean-going ships. This paper provides a systematic review and expert perspective on China’s current status and key challenges in ocean-going weather routing services. Based on operational insights from China’s national meteorological service synthesized with a review of current trends and the literature, it further explores the future development of China’s ocean-going weather routing services and technologies from multiple dimensions: enhancing maritime weather observation capabilities, developing advanced weather routing service models, upgrading autonomous and controllable global satellite communication systems, promoting intelligent navigation technologies to facilitate shipping’s low-carbon transition, and expanding meteorological support capabilities for Arctic shipping routes. The analysis identifies critical gaps and proposes strategic directions, offering a unique contribution to understanding the trajectory of weather routing services within China’s specific national context from the perspective of its primary national service provider.

China’s Cabotage Law Policy: from Restrictive to Flexible

The cabotage law of China has always been considered restrictive. But it changes with time due to market needs. The body of literature on one specific city influenced by such policy or discussion about agreement or disagreement when it is predicted to change is not small. A thorough analysis of the policy of China’s cabotage law from restrictive to flexible is out of the scope of the present paper. It is necessary to present that China’s cabotage law policy has evolved from one that is restrictive to one that is flexible. Coastal shipping is the component that international shipping enterprises are most concerned about because of its appreciable economic worth. It is also the most restrictive part at present. Now there is a new measurement coming into force to open this restriction. This adjustment has an ambiguous impact on domestic shipping enterprises, domestic ports and foreign shipping enterprises. Moreover, the current circumstance in China is consistent with the policy objectives of cabotage law reservation. It’s unnecessary to deregulate the coastal shipping. But, the willingness of openness of government is sincere and strong. The next step of this policy’s development is better to maintain the status quo and take measures according to specific matters.

Dry ports development within the framework of the Russian transport and logistics infrastructure

Special attention is paid to the Russian transportation and logistics infrastructure development. The speed of commodity flows reorientation to southern and eastern directions depends on the efficiency and effectiveness of its activity. The existing logistical limitations on the throughput capacity of seaports and port areas reduce the transportation process efficiency and slow down export-import operations. Dry ports as a relatively new element of transport and logistics infrastructure could significantly overcome these limitations through implementing intermodal and multimodal transportation of resources and goods in international trade. The importance of dry ports is actualized by their potential role in developing new transport corridors linking Russia with “friendly” countries. Theoretical approaches to the dry port definition in the world practice have been considered. The main features of dry ports and their functions within the framework of transport and logistics infrastructure have been defined. The main technical, organizational, and economic requirements for dry ports in modern conditions have been analyzed. The advantages and risks of using dry ports for economic entities and the country’s economy as a whole have been identified. The experience of creating new dry ports in Russia and the prospects of their development within the framework of international transport corridors have been considered.

Разработка модели тарификации контрейлерных перевозок в системе ж/д транспорта Узбекистана

Purpose: In the context of globalization and increased competition in international transport markets, the development of an efficient logistics infrastructure is becoming a priority task for many countries including the Republic of Uzbekistan. The importance of this study lies in its potential to enhance the competitiveness of the national railway system and to integrate it into international transport and logistics chains. This article considers the development of a rational and economically justified tariff model for piggyback traffic within Uzbekistan’s railway system. It identifies this as a promising direction for freight transportation development. Methods: The study applies the latest information technologies, regulatory framework analysis and data obtained through automated transport management systems. The methodology is based on economic and mathematical models that enable the calculation of piggyback transportation costs and a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different tariff approaches. The analysis employed Wald, Laplace and Savage criteria. This paper presents a constructed tariff grid and a comparative analysis of the cost and delivery time of goods along the Tashkent — Bukhara route when using different modes of transport. Results: The study results have demonstrated the advantages of piggyback transportation, including reduced delivery time and lower logistics costs. The key risks associated with the implementation of the new tariff model have been identified, and specific measures to minimize these risks have been proposed. Practical significance: This research will contribute to the development of a strategy for the advancement of Uzbekistan’s railway transport sector until 2035, with the objective of enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the industry.

Single-CellLipidomics by LC-MS Interlaboratory StudyReveals the Impact of X‑ray Irradiation on a Pancreatic CancerCell Line and Its Bystanders

Live single-cell lipidomics by liquid chromatographymass spectrometry(LC-MS) is a nascent and rapidly growing field which can shed newlight on infectious diseases, cancer, immunology, and drug delivery.There are now a growing number of laboratories that can isolate singlecells and laboratories that can perform lipidomics analysis at correspondinglylow sample volumes, but there is a lack of validation data. We havecarried out the first interlaboratory LC-MS lipidomics experimentfor single cells, aimed at filling this gap. We present a novel workflowto enable interlaboratory studies, comprising live-cell imaging andsingle-cell isolation, followed by freeze-drying, international shipping,reconstitution, and untargeted lipidomics analysis. We applied thismethodology to reveal radiation-induced bystander effects in pancreaticcancer cells. X-ray irradiated cells and their bystanders sampledlive 48 h postirradiation demonstrated reduced lipid abundance comparedto controls, with distinct changes in molar ratios of several polyunsaturatedlipids. This demonstrates for the first time that radiation can causeconsiderable cellular lipid remodelling, not only at the site of delivery.A striking similarity in lipid changes was observed between the twoparticipating laboratories despite differences in sample preparationand analysis methods. Our results are further corroborated by live-cellimaging analysis of lipid droplets. This work serves as an importantvalidation and demonstration of the nascent and rapidly growing fieldof live single-cell lipidomics.

Railway transport corridors as an alternative and complement to water routes in international logistics

Railway transport corridors play a key role in international trade, connecting countries and continents. The article analyzes the importance of these routes, their impact on the economy and logistics, as well as key problems and development prospects. Special attention is paid to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM), the Northern Corridor and the New Silk Road. Special attention is paid to their interaction with water transport, the potential for replacing traditional sea routes such as the Suez Canal, as well as the advantages of rail transportation in conditions of geopolitical and climatic instability. Their advantages, infrastructural limitations and the influence of geopolitical factors are investigated. The statistical indicators of freight transportation growth were also studied, and the main barriers, including administrative, tariff, and infrastructural restrictions, were identified. The prospects for development, including the modernization of the railway network, digitalization of logistics and the introduction of environmentally sustainable technologies, are considered. The main focus is on the advantages of rail transportation, such as high load capacity, reliability, safety, cost-effectiveness and weather resistance, which makes rail transport an important element of international logistics. The role of railway corridors in improving Kazakhstan's transit potential is also emphasized, and it is concluded that it is important to integrate international efforts to improve the efficiency of rail transport and its competitiveness in the global market.

Combining morphological and molecular data to study past foraminiferal communities from a temperate coastal sediment core

This paper presents the results of a dual approach for assessing fossil benthic foraminiferal communities using both traditional morphology‐based analyses and sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) metabarcoding. The main objectives are to test the feasibility of sedaDNA analyses to assess foraminiferal biodiversity in temperate shelf sediments (Le Croisic, France) off a major river system through time (Mid‐ to Late Holocene), and to point out the similarities and differences between classical and molecular methods. Our results show that, in contrast to the high foraminiferal diversity obtained from classic morphological analysis (over 140 taxa), the sedaDNA analysis yielded only 20 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which can be considered as equivalent to species. This strongly suggests a bad preservation of foraminiferal DNA downcore, likely due to the relatively ‘high’ temperature of the study site (14 °C) and/or to a methodological bias (e.g. insufficient amount of extracted sediment). In the total sedaDNA, more than 90% of the reads were assigned to monothalamids (organic‐shelled foraminifera). In contrast, only a small number of mineralized taxa, highly dominant when identified using the morphological approach, were detected. This could be due to the naturally higher abundance of monothalamids compared to hard‐shelled foraminifera. While this abundance is reflected in sedaDNA, it is not preserved in fossil morphological assemblages. In addition, the sedaDNA of monothalamids might be easier to extract and their barcode to amplify than hard‐shelled foraminifera. The discrepancies between the microfossil data and sedaDNA also include several species (e.g. Ammonia confertitesta (T6), Elphidium oceanense (S3), Nonionella sp. T4 and Nonionella sp. T6) that were rarely or not at all found in the fossil material which might be an indication of the presence of propagules, morphologically undetected in the >63 μm size fraction used. Finally, the presence of sequences of A. confertitesta and fossil specimens in the deep layers of the study cores suggests that this species, considered until now as recently invasive on the European coast, could have been present in the Atlantic coast several thousand years ago, much before any anthropogenic activity involving international shipping and commercial trades.

Research on Port Competitiveness Dynamics in China Under the Background of Free Trade Zone and Port Integration

Free trade zone (FTZ) policies and port integration play critical roles in advancing international shipping and port development. While Free trade zones (FTZs) promote trade liberalization and attract investment to support port infrastructure, port integration helps alleviate excessive competition, reduce redundant labor, and minimize resource inefficiencies. Given these dynamics, it is important to examine how FTZs and port integration differentially shape shipping capacity and port competitiveness across China’s coastal provinces. To this end, this study introduces a comprehensive evaluation framework for port competitiveness, which considers both port operation–related factors and the external environment. The framework employs a combination of principal component analysis and the entropy weight method to assess port competitiveness in coastal regions. The findings reveal that comprehensive port service capacity and management efficiency capacity have the most significant influence on port competitiveness, outweighing the impact of other evaluated indicators. It also reveals that the development of China’s coastal ports is regionally unbalanced, with strong competitiveness in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Bohai Rim clusters, moderate development in the southeastern cluster, and relatively weak performance in the Beibu Gulf cluster. Both FTZ and port integration policies can promote port competitiveness to some extent, especially for professional technical support and services, digital management, and overall management efficiency. The dynamics of port competitiveness under the FTZs are higher than those under port integration. The research results deepen the understanding of the roles of FTZ and port integration policies in promoting the competitiveness of ports in various regions and provide insights for ports to seize opportunities and enhance development. The reinforcement of industrial synergies with neighboring regions and the formation of complementary development patterns enhance their overall competitiveness. Exploring new modes aligned with the advancement of FTZs and port integration can further stimulate regional economic development and support national opening-up strategies.