In the first nine months of the current year, cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) grew by 30 percent, while container shipping from China in the westward direction surged by 64 percent. To meet rising demand, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are investing in expanding their commercial fleets in the Caspian Sea and modernizing port infrastructure.
Sea-news.az reports that this was published by the Romanian media outlet “Financial Intelligence”.
The publication notes that the importance of the Middle Corridor, which extends to Europe via China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, is growing continuously within the global freight system. According to data from the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, cargo throughput along the corridor has risen from 800,000 tons to 4.5 million tons over the past five years.
The Romanian outlet highlights the pivotal role played by Azerbaijan’s shipbuilding industry in advancing the corridor. It is reported that four vessels are under construction at the Baku Shipyard with the participation of partners from Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates. One of the projects entails building two container ships with a capacity of 780 TEU each, while the other involves two multi-purpose dry cargo vessels for Kazakhstan’s “KTZ Express Shipping”.
The article also draws attention to the capabilities of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC (ASCO). It indicates that the company’s commercial fleet operates 56 vessels, including 23 tankers, 13 ferries, 16 dry cargo ships, two Ro-Ro vessels, and two Ro-Pax ferries. Last year, ASCO vessels transported approximately 9.1 million tons of cargo, with dry bulk shipments rising by over 45 percent and container transport increasing by more than 203 percent.
Additionally, the article underscores that declining water levels in the Caspian Sea pose operational challenges for shipping and port activities, noting that Kazakhstan has initiated dredging works at the Port of Aktau to mitigate these effects. Azerbaijani transport expert Rauf Aghamirzayev stated that advancing the Middle Corridor requires not only acquiring new ships, but also renewing existing fleet units and modernizing port facilities.
