Within the BRICS countries, logistics has historically developed under conditions of vast geographical distances, uneven infrastructure and significant differences in levels of industrial development. As mutual trade expands – by the end of 2025, trade between the member countries exceeded US$1 trillion – logistics costs are taking on the character of a macroeconomic constraint.
Over the past five years, intra-BRICS trade has grown by an average of 4.75 per cent a year, and this growth is increasingly constrained by the capacity of transport systems. As noted by Lubarto Sartoyo, Head of the Committee for Cooperation with ASEAN Countries at the Eurasian Business Association, President of the Alliance of Business Structures and Entrepreneurs of ASEAN Countries, Deputy Chairman of the Russian-Asian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, intra-BRICS trade is growing by 18–20 per cent year on year, and this trend is expected to continue. The load on ports, land and sea routes has already increased by 30 per cent, and, most importantly, it will continue to grow. Accordingly, capacity must increase by at least 50 per cent in the coming years. Under these conditions, autonomous transport is no longer an option but a necessary solution, while logistics itself is becoming a structural factor in economic integration.
The share of logistics in the GDP of different BRICS countries averages between 6 and 8 per cent. This is a huge sector, comparable to major industrial sectors. Infrastructure investment will exceed US$3 trillion by the end of the decade, and at least a quarter of this amount will go towards digitalisation and automation. Logistics and its innovative, information-based component will become the foundation for harmonising the economy as a whole.
High logistics costs directly increase the final cost of products, reduce export margins and limit the competitiveness of producers in foreign markets. This effect is not reflected in the budgetary system, but it is a direct deduction from the economic efficiency of the BRICS countries and one of the main obstacles to the growth of mutual trade, particularly as the share of settlements in national currencies has already exceeded 67 per cent – without effective modernisation of logistics, the financial advantages of such trade remain unrealised.
A persistently high level of logistics costs is characteristic of most BRICS economies. According to Alexander Titov, large-scale deployment of autonomous transport is possible only with deep integration into digital infrastructure and continuous data exchange between all participants in the logistics chain. In India, logistics costs are estimated at 13–14 per cent of GDP. This is twice as high as in China, and reducing them will change India's competitiveness as a trading partner across the entire supply chain.
The country's authorities have set a target of reducing logistics costs to 9–10 per cent of GDP by 2030, investing INR 1 trillion (US$10.44 billion) in multimodal infrastructure. According to the Indian government, every INR 100 (US$1.04) invested generates INR 321 (US$3.35) in GDP growth.
In Brazil, logistics costs remain at 15.5 per cent of GDP. According to the Agroexport report, since 2022 the country has ranked second in the world by the volume of agricultural product supplies: agribusiness exports grew from US$138.4 billion in 2024 to US$169.2 billion in 2025, accounting for 48.5 per cent of all Brazilian exports.
Imports of agricultural products reached a record US$15.6 billion. The grain harvest – 346.1 million tonnes – also reached a historic high, meaning that the volume of cargo that must be transported through ports and by rail has reached a record level.
Every additional million tonnes increases the risk of infrastructure congestion, so automating the “field – grain elevator – port” route is becoming a matter of safeguarding export revenues. Brazil remains the world's largest supplier of soya and maize, while at the same time depending on fertiliser imports for more than 80 per cent of its needs – their cost accounts for up to 40 per cent of the cost of major export crops. Reducing the logistics burden by each percentage point translates into a price advantage in the markets of Asia and the Middle East.
In China, the share of logistics costs in GDP fell from 14.4 per cent in 2023 to 13.9 per cent at the end of 2025. This is the result of the systematic digitalisation of port infrastructure. The People's Republic of China has already built and operates 30 automated container terminals – more than any other country in the world. At the beginning of 2025, Qingdao Port broke the world record for crane productivity for the 12th time, reaching 60.9 containers per hour. Port automation is no longer an experiment but has become the foundation of the operating model of the country's largest logistics hubs.
In Russia, the share of logistics costs in GDP is estimated at more than 16 per cent. The length of routes and climatic conditions make long-haul freight transport a costly item in the structure of the economy. In 2024, Russian exports increased by 8.4 per cent in physical terms, placing additional pressure on existing transport corridors.
South Africa faces a dual challenge: high fuel costs and uneven road networks between provinces. Ethiopia is addressing the challenge of connecting remote agricultural regions to export hubs. Middle Eastern countries with close economic ties to BRICS are creating additional opportunities for coordinating energy and transport policy. The UAE, with its compact territory, is focusing on the speed and efficiency of transit corridors linking Asia, Africa and Europe. Despite differences in economic structures, logistics remains one of the most expensive elements of the BRICS economic system, and its reform is becoming a necessary condition for the group's further growth.
Growing trade turnover and pressure on infrastructure
The increase in mutual trade within BRICS is driving rapid growth in pressure on transport systems. Port infrastructure is operating at high capacity, railway corridors require increased throughput, and motorways are facing a constant rise in freight traffic. However, the pace of infrastructure development in a number of countries is not synchronised with trade turnover dynamics.
India's National Logistics Policy has identified 196 critical infrastructure projects – from port modernisation to the expansion of railway lines for transporting coal, steel and food. The key tool for their implementation is the Unified Logistics Interface Platform (ULIP), which brings together data from all participants in the chain – from customs authorities to warehouses and transport companies. This makes it possible to track cargo movements in real time, reduce processing times and lower administrative barriers. Since the launch of the National Logistics Policy, more than 614 organisations had registered with ULIP by 2024, making it the main digital tool for managing freight flows. At the same time, reform of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) reduced truck waiting times at state borders by almost 30 per cent.
At the Logistics Shakti Summit 2026, India discussed the development of air freight – the country intends to build dedicated cargo air terminals independent of passenger flights. India is using investment in multimodal infrastructure to consolidate its role as a connecting link in the group's trade flows. This involves creating transit routes that will connect BRICS countries through Indian ports, railways and digital platforms – from fertiliser supplies from Russia to Chinese car exports to Africa. This positions India not merely as a participant but as a coordinator of logistics chains within the grouping.
Russia is expanding freight flows along the North–South Corridor, which, following completion of the Rasht–Astara rail link, will become one of the key routes for transit between BRICS countries. Ethiopia, Egypt and Iran face their own challenges: from connecting remote agricultural regions to modernising port infrastructure and integrating into existing transport corridors.
The growth of freight flows in BRICS countries is accompanied not only by infrastructure wear and tear but also by an acute shortage of personnel. All this creates a structural gap: the economy requires more transport capacity, while the transport system cannot provide it. It is precisely this gap that is the main driver of the transition to autonomous and digital solutions.
“Autonomous vehicles require Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) networks, 5G infrastructure and real-time data processing systems. Only such a digital environment ensures the safe operation of autonomous transport and allows the operator to intervene remotely in non-standard situations,” Alexander Titov noted.
Infrastructure for connected and autonomous transport
The key technological direction is the integration of vehicles with digital infrastructure. Autonomous transport is ceasing to be an isolated solution and is becoming part of an integrated system interacting with the road network, logistics platforms and control centres.
Data on road conditions, route congestion, weather conditions and potential risks is transmitted in real time, making it possible to optimise routes, reduce accident rates and increase infrastructure throughput without a proportional increase in the size of the transport fleet.
According to Alexander Titov, autonomous transport must be integrated with warehouse management systems, companies' ERP platforms, port terminals and digital services of customs authorities.
Such synchronisation makes it possible to minimise vehicle downtime and accelerate the entire logistics chain.
The cost of an import error has risen significantly. An incorrect Foreign Economic Activity (FEA) commodity code, an inaccuracy in an invoice or a discrepancy in the description of goods – none of these are merely "technical paperwork issue” any longer but can result in downtime, storage, inspection, declaration amendments and additional payments.
For companies dependent on regular supplies, such an error can cost more than the logistics itself. It is precisely at this point – at the intersection of documents, cargo and control – that digitalisation becomes not merely a convenience but a necessary condition for ensuring that autonomous transport does not encounter bureaucratic barriers.
Economic effects for BRICS countries
The deployment of autonomous transport generates a comprehensive macroeconomic effect. Lower logistics costs accelerate capital turnover and increase trade efficiency. Greater predictability of supply chains reduces business operating risks. Reducing the share of logistics in the final price of products strengthens export competitiveness and lowers inflation.
The development of common BRICS standards for autonomous systems is moving from the technical sphere into the realm of trade compatibility. If the North–South Corridor, PRC–Central Asia routes and African transport networks operate on incompatible protocols, the savings from automation will disappear at the points of connection. Harmonisation of standards is not a bureaucratic procedure but a prerequisite for realising the economic potential of autonomous transport for the group as a whole.
Autonomous transport in BRICS countries is becoming an element of next-generation economic infrastructure. Its key function is to create a predictable, manageable and integrated logistics system that will form the basis of a new architecture of trade within the group.
In the coming years, BRICS countries will need to accelerate the movement of goods, reduce logistics costs and increase the efficiency of international transport corridors. This will be achieved not through the mass replacement of vehicle fleets, but through the adoption of artificial intelligence, data analysis and digital transport technologies integrated into existing infrastructure.
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