Azerbaijan's Transit Cargo Traffic Hits Five-Year High

Azerbaijan's transit cargo volumes reached 9.1 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2026, the highest in five years, marking an 11.6% increase year-on-year. Growth was driven by faster China-Europe transit times, infrastructure upgrades, and digitalization, strengthening the country's position on the Middle Corridor.

Baku, Azerbaijan, August 13, 2026 -- Volumes rose 11.6 percent in the first seven months of 2026, as faster China–Europe transit times and expanding port capacity strengthened the country's position on the Middle Corridor.

BAKU – Azerbaijan is consolidating its position as an international transport and logistics hub. Transit cargo volumes hit 9.1 million tonnes in the first seven months of 2026, the highest level in five years, as the East–West and North–South international transport corridors (linking China to Europe, and Russia and Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and South Asia, via Azerbaijan) continued to develop alongside a wave of major infrastructure investment in recent years.

The figure marks an 11.6 percent increase over the same period last year. Growth was strongest along the East–West route, where transit volumes climbed 16.5 percent, compared with 14.3 percent on the North–South route.

Officials attribute the gains to a mix of sector-wide reforms, digitalization, infrastructure modernization, greater operational efficiency achieved through coordination among relevant agencies, and a growing network of international partnerships. Shifting global trade routes have played a role too, further strengthening Azerbaijan's strategic position and competitiveness on both the Middle Corridor (the East–West route) and the North–South route.

Faster Transit Times Boost Competitiveness

Among the most significant results of the Middle Corridor reforms has been a sharp cut in transit times: a journey on the China–Europe route that took 38 to 53 days just a few years ago is now completed in roughly 12 days on average.

The improvement reflects several parallel reforms: the rollout of electronic permitting systems and digital tools such as e-TIR (electronic international customs transit documents) and e-CMR (electronic road consignment notes); real-time cargo tracking; streamlined customs and border-crossing procedures; and faster information exchange between government agencies.

Several large-scale projects have underpinned this shift, led by an upgrade to the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway (linking Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey), which now has capacity for up to five million tonnes of cargo a year. Border-crossing points have been modernized, stretches of the rail network electrified and renewed, highways built or rehabilitated, and airport infrastructure further developed.

A central piece of this effort is the Single Window Information System – Digital Logistics Platform (a one-stop electronic system for trade and customs paperwork), developed by the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport. The platform speeds up document processing, simplifies procedures, and gives businesses a more agile logistics environment. The next phase will link it with equivalent systems in partner countries along the Middle Corridor, extending those efficiency gains across the entire route.

In parallel, the ministry and its international partners are phasing in additional digital transport tools, including e-CMR, e-Permit (electronic road transport permits), and the e-CIM/SMGS electronic waybill system (which bridges Europe's and Eurasia's separate rail-freight rules). Their adoption is expected to expand the use of paperless technology in international transport and improve the exchange of shipment data among corridor participants.

Strengthening Maritime Capacity

The efficiency of the Caspian Sea leg of the route is critical to the Middle Corridor's overall competitiveness. Recent upgrades to Alat Port and the wider maritime infrastructure have been designed to keep pace with rising transit volumes.

To meet growing demand, Alat Port's container handling capacity has been raised from 100,000 to 150,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units, the standard measure of container capacity), a seventh berth has come online, and a new-generation crane with a 125-tonne lifting capacity is now in operation. The port currently handles 15 million tonnes of cargo a year; once an ongoing expansion project is complete, that figure is expected to rise to 25 million tonnes, with container capacity reaching 500,000 TEU.

Demand is already reflected in the numbers: last year, the Baku International Sea Trade Port handled more than 8.2 million tonnes of cargo and 107,000 TEU of containers.

The Alat hub is expanding further with a new cargo airport. Once built, it will link sea, rail, road, and air transport within a single multimodal logistics complex, boosting cargo-processing efficiency and expanding the Middle Corridor's overall potential.

To keep pace with rising Caspian shipping volumes, Baku Shipyard is building four cargo vessels under its first international commercial order. In a related deal signed on September 16, 2025, the shipyard and AD Ports Group (the Abu Dhabi–based ports and logistics operator) agreed to build two container carriers of 780 TEU each for operation on the Caspian Sea. Further measures – a large-capacity ferry project, expanded Ro-Ro services (ships that carry wheeled cargo driven directly on and off), joint initiatives with the private sector, and a phased fleet renewal – are expected to increase throughput across the Caspian crossing and add resilience to cargo flows along the Middle Corridor.

These investments are already showing results. Between January and July 2026, container throughput at Alat Port rose 20 percent year-on-year to 72,370 TEU, while dry cargo handling climbed 82 percent to 1.4 million tonnes.

Expanding Cooperation Along the Middle Corridor

Azerbaijan continues to deepen cooperation with partner countries along the Middle Corridor to strengthen transport links, streamline border-crossing procedures, and expand digital data exchange. That cooperation includes modernizing and expanding capacity on the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, signing new contracts for passenger and freight wagons, strengthening coordination among Caspian ports, and advancing joint projects under the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route – all of which are making the corridor more reliable and competitive.

Beyond these specific projects, Azerbaijan is working with every country along the Middle Corridor to align infrastructure development and lift efficiency across the route as a whole. That effort has produced a series of bilateral and multilateral roadmaps, agreements, and memoranda of understanding aimed at coordinating joint infrastructure projects, strengthening transport links, and improving transport efficiency. A broader multilateral agreement is now being prepared, seen as a key step toward the corridor's long-term development and institutional strengthening.

Transit Growth Feeds Broader Economic Diversification

The rise in transit cargo volumes extends well beyond the transport sector, adding value and economic activity across Azerbaijan's non-oil economy. A stronger transit position also reinforces the country's standing as a reliable partner in global supply chains, makes it more attractive to foreign investors, and raises its broader geo-economic profile.

Azerbaijan's emergence as a transit and logistics hub is increasingly seen as a foundation for diversifying the non-oil economy, deepening regional economic integration, and underpinning long-term, sustainable growth.

Contact Info:
Name: Parvana Aliyeva
Email: Send Email
Organization: Ministry of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan
Website: https://mincom.gov.az

Release ID: 89200578

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