Auto & Transportation

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation, three ports in northern Greece are the focus of international shipping companies. These three ports highlight Greece's strategic geographical position and its role as a stable country in the periphery of Europe during the conflict in Ukraine, and increase the risk of its international trade disruption.

The latest progress shows that the three ports, namely, the so-called "Northern Axis", in the northwestern part of Greece, namely, Igumenica, the northern part of Salonica and the northeastern part of Alexandria Drupolis, will become the alternative of the largest port of Piraeus in Greece. While opening the new market, these ports will also take part of the market share of Piraeus. The three ports are connected with the Egnatia highway in Greece, and can connect the Balkan Peninsula through its branch highway, so they can play a positive role in the prosperity of trade inside and outside the region. These three ports will not only become the competitors of Piraeus Port, but also the main ports of the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation, CMACGM, the world's third-largest container shipping company, added a new route from Salonika to Northern Europe and Türkiye last month, and the tonnage of ships docked at the port set a record. Thessalonica has become the most important bulk cargo port in Greece, aiming to become an important part of the local supply route. Industrialists in northern Greece said that the new route opened by CMACGM could bypass Piraeus Port and quickly transport goods to Northern Europe, Türkiye and the Middle East. Salonica will probably become another important part of China's Maritime Silk Road, and COSCO will make it a "Mediterranean pearl" by investing in Piraeus Port.

According to Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation, at the end of last year, after the privatization of Alessandropolis Port was cancelled, the Greek government is currently planning to comprehensively upgrade and transform it through the Republic Development Fund, focusing on the construction of larger ports and the upgrading of port equipment. The upgrading and reconstruction of the port is expected to be partially funded by the European Union Recovery Fund. In the future, the port will be able to transport not only military equipment and personnel, but also bulk cargo, especially containers and grain from Ukraine. Businessmen and diplomats believe that the upgrading of the railway line from Alexandropolis to Omenio in the northeast of Greece will improve the connection with Bulgaria and other regions, and make Alexandropolis port become the main gateway to Eastern Europe. The reconstruction of this railway will cost 1.33 billion euros, and will eventually realize the electrification of the line and double the carrying capacity. After the reconstruction, Greece will gain the ability to carry out multimodal freight transport (land and sea) between the whole Asia and Eastern Europe, including the Black Sea countries.

Italy's Grimaldi Group (Grimaldi) invested 84.2 million euros to acquire 67% of the shares in the port of Igumenica. The group is expected to significantly improve the truck capacity in and out of Italy in the first half of this year. At the same time of upgrading the port of Igumenica, the group plans to establish a logistics center to increase the number of trucks that use the Egnatia Expressway and transport goods to the European market, Huacheng Import and Export Data Observation reported.