Baku:Cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route has witnessed a significant 30% growth in the first nine months of 2026. This increase is accompanied by a 64% rise in container transportation from China westward. In response to this demand, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are enhancing their merchant fleets and upgrading port infrastructure in the Caspian Sea.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the Romanian publication “Financial Intelligence” has emphasized the growing importance of the Middle Corridor, which traverses China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Trkiye, and extends to Europe. The Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan reported a substantial increase in cargo volume along this corridor, from 800,000 tons to 4.5 million tons over the past five years, with transportation totaling 4.1 million tons in 2025.
The article highlights Azerbaijan’s shipbuilding industry as a crucial component in the corridor’s development. The Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) operates a merchant fleet of 56 vessels, including tankers, ferries, and dry cargo vessels, which are essential to the corridor’s operational capabilities.
An agreement between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan aims to further develop the Trans-Caspian corridor by improving transport infrastructure and addressing rail, road, and port transit bottlenecks. This includes expanding shipping capabilities in the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijani transport expert Rauf Aghamirzayev stressed the need for both acquiring new vessels and upgrading existing fleets, as well as modernizing ports, to support the corridor’s development. The joint investments by Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are seen as a move to establish the Middle Corridor as a viable alternative trade route between Asia and Europe.