A growing share of trade between China and Iran is shifting to overland routes through Central Asia as shipping in and around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz faces severe disruption and sanctions pressure on Tehran remains in place.
According to Uzbekistan’s freight rail operator, a block train made up of 55 container cars crossed from China’s western Xinjiang Province into Kazakhstan on September 7. The train is then due to pass through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan before completing the more than 6,000-kilometer trip to Iran on or about September 21.
Uzbek rail officials say the shipment demonstrates the “practical effectiveness” of the China-Central Asia-Iran transport corridor. In their view, the route offers a workable alternative to seaborne trade between China and Iran.
The official statement says the train is carrying components for passenger cars, consumer goods and other consolidated cargo. However, the full contents of the shipment have not been disclosed, leaving uncertainty about what else may be included.
The article notes that China is already seen, in the context of its broader rivalry with the United States, as an important supplier of goods that help Russia sustain programs tied to its war in Ukraine. Against that backdrop, a Reuters investigation published on September 10 suggested that Beijing may be using similar sanctions-busting mechanisms in its dealings with Iran.
According to Reuters, Chinese and Iranian officials have sought to build a barter system under which Iranian oil exports would be exchanged for Chinese goods. The reported items include medicine, vehicles, military gear and air-defense equipment, with the total value of the trade estimated at $2-$2.5 billion.
The piece also recalls that Iran supplied Russia with drone technology in the early years of the Russia-Ukraine war. It adds that the Kremlin is now apparently helping Iran rebuild its drone capabilities via cargo shipments across the trans-Caspian Sea route.
Overall, the new rail route through Central Asia is emerging not only as a logistics channel but also as part of a broader economic and geopolitical realignment in China-Iran trade.
