Transportation, logistics exhibition in Xi'an pools quality resources for global businesses

The transportation and logistics exhibition at the 8th Silk Road International Exposition (SRIE), which opened on Friday in Xi'an, the capital city of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has brought together quality exhibitors and resources from across the industrial chain to help participants reach new global markets and share new opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative.

Themed "Deepen Connectivity and Strengthen Economic and Trade Cooperation", the five-day expo features five exhibition areas focusing on international exchange, inter-provincial cooperation, transportation and logistics, advanced manufacturing, and modern energy.

The transportation and logistics section, with a total area of 16,000 square meters, has attracted nearly 100 domestic and foreign exhibitors to showcase the latest advancements in the sector.

The Xi'an Chanba International Port, a core area pioneering two-way opening-up, had exhibits at its booth introducing the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, the Kazakhstan Railways, and the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

The Airport New City in the Xixian New Area, an air gateway in Xi'an, showcased its achievements in building a route network and clustering industries around the airport.

One of the highlights at the exhibition is the hyper-spectral remote sensing technology and an innovative commercial spaceflight model presented by Xiopm Space, a commercial space company based in Xi'an.

"We have brought the first customized hyper-spectral satellite for cities of Xiopm Space to this Silk Road expo. This satellite can be used extensively in agriculture, forestry, and hyper-spectral monitoring areas. This expo offers us a chance to conduct technical exchanges and present our products. We hope the platform provided by the expo can promote cooperation and exchanges in the entire industry in the future," said Ma Yuanfu, a marketing manager at the company.

As the starting point of the ancient Silk Road, Xi'an plays a crucial role in China's westward opening up and boasts unique geographical advantages.

"This exhibition has 68 extra-large booths. The participation of nearly 100 enterprises covering the entire transportation and logistics industry demonstrates the geographical and industrial advantages of Xi'an in the sector. The Silk Road expo is expected to promote some interactions, exchanges and win-win cooperation in the transportation and logistics industry in regions around Shaanxi, including China's northwest region and countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt," said Hui Heping, director of the transportation and logistics exhibition.

Transportation, logistics exhibition in Xi'an pools quality resources for global businesses

The Trump administration on Friday expanded its sanctions targeting Iran's oil trade and maritime networks, issuing a new Iran-related general license and updating its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list with entities and oil tankers tied to Iran's petroleum sector.

The Iran-related General License T, issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), authorizes "limited safety and environmental transactions and the offloading of cargo involving certain persons or vessels blocked on January 23, 2026."

Meanwhile, OFAC updated its SDN list, adding multiple shipping companies and nine oil tankers in alleged links with Iran. The move is expected to effectively block their U.S. property and prohibit U.S. citizens from engaging in transactions with them.

"OFAC is targeting nine shadow fleet vessels and their respective owners or management firms that have collectively transported hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil and petroleum products to foreign markets," the Treasury Department said Friday in a press release.

"As previously outlined, Treasury will continue to track the tens of millions of dollars that the regime has stolen and is desperately attempting to wire to banks outside of Iran," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on X.

The move came after a series of U.S. sanctions and other measures adopted earlier this month, seen as part of a broader U.S. effort to cut off funding streams supporting Tehran amid ongoing tensions.

U.S. expands sanctions targeting Iran's oil trade, maritime networks