Good morning, friends. We have a packed issue for you this morning in terms of big agreements and partnerships in the region, though the news cycle for logistics on the global front has relatively quieted down.

THE BIG LOGISTICS STORY-Russian nuclear agency Rosatom and DP World have set up a joint venture to develop container shipping through the Arcticroute, which has recently become viable due to the melting of arctic ice.

^^ We have everything on this story and more in the news well, below.

PSA-SCA announces transit fee rebates for some vessels: The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) will grant dry bulk ships moving between Egypt’s Red Sea ports and South-West African ports a 20-45% rebate on transit fees, according to an authority circular (pdf). Vessels coming from or heading to Ghana, Togo, Benin, or Nigeria will receive a 20% rebate, while those en route to or from Cameroon will receive a 45% discount. The decision will go into effect starting November and will last until the end of June 2024.

A British inland bulk carrier sank in the German North Seaafter colliding with another vessel, Splash reports. The 2001-built 3.4k-dwt general cargo ship collided with 8k-dwt bulk carrier Polesie, which is still afloat, Splash reports. Four of the seven people who were on the ship are missing, and one has been confirmed dead. A search for the missing individuals is underway.

WATCH THIS SPACE #1- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is close to being resolved, Russian News Agency Tass reports. The announcement followed a meeting of foreign ministers from the member countries of the 3+3 format, which comprises Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. “The conflict has largely been resolved. Both sides have agreed that Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan, and this was the main unresolved problem,” Lavrov was quoted as saying. Practical steps are still necessary till the complete normalization of ties is realized, including the preparation of a peace treaty, the delimitation of borders, and the creation of unhindered transport and economic ties.

WATCH THIS SPACE #2-Brazilian investments for a logistics center for re-exports in the Suez Canal? The Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce is reportedly conducting a feasibility study to establish a logistics center for re-exporting goods in the Suez Canal, with plans to submit a proposal to the Suez Canal Authority once the study is completely, Al Borsa quotes Secretary General of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce Tamer Mansour as saying. Brazilian investors and companies are looking to invest in the food, pharma, cosmetic, and medical equipment sectors in Egypt, Mansour added. Brazilian companies are set to visit Egypt on 12-14 December for the Food Africa Cairo 2023 expo, where they are expected to establish partnerships between Egyptian and Brazilian companies, and enter new markets in Egypt and Africa.

DATA POINT-Iran exported 67.7 bn tons of non-oil goods worth USD 24.1 mn in 1H 2023, Mehr News Agency reported, citing Iranian spokesman of the House of Industry, Mine and Trade Development Commission Rouhollah Latifi. Some 3.5 mn tons of fish, livestock, agricultural, and food products worth USD 2.4 bn were exported, a 44% y-o-y increase in tonnage and a 37% y-o-y increase in value respectively, Mehr reported.

CIRCLE YOUR CALENDAR-

SCZone is in China: A delegation from Egypt’s Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZone), led by Chairman Walid Gamal El-Din, is on tour in China in the provinces of Suzhou and Hefei, after visiting Hangzhou to drum up investments from Chinese companies into Egypt’s textile and garment industry and establish projects in the West Qantara Industrial Zone.

TheParcel + Post Expo 2023 kicked off yesterday and runs through to Thursday in RAI Amsterdam, Netherlands. The event brings together industry experts to network, showcase technologies, with a live conference featuring expert industry analysis and opinion.

TheG7 Trade Ministers meeting will take place at the Osaka International Convention Center in Sakai, Osaka, Japan between 28 and 29 October. The event will bring together trade ministers from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union to discuss the changing environment surrounding trade, and growth of the global economy.

TheDubai Precious Metals Conference 2023 is taking place on 20-21 November 2023 at the ballroom at the SO/ Uptown Dubai in the UAE. The event will bring together industry experts, innovators, and leaders to discuss emerging trends, technologies, and strategies driving the metals industry.

Etihad Cargo will host the third iteration of ACE in Abu Dhabi between 4 and 6 December. The conference brings together air cargo industry executives with expert speaker debates, workshops, and networking via a one-to-one meeting scheduler and in-person meetings. The event will focus on the air cargo sector in the Middle East.

TheEurasian Economic Union (EAEU) exhibition is taking place from 4 to 7 December at Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds in Tehran, Iran. The exhibition will be attended by EAEU members, members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council, and will bring together domestic and foreign companies in the industrial, mineral, and agricultural fields to showcase their latest products at the event. Seminars and conferences on transport, trade, and tourism will take place on the sidelines of the event.

Check out our full calendar at the bottom of this email for a comprehensive listing of upcoming news events and news triggers.