China start trial of Middle Corridor cargo transit

Kazakhstan and China started transporting transit cargo from the Kazakh port of Kuryk to Baku seaport via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (the Middle Corridor) in trial mode, the Kazakh Ministry of Transport said.

For the first time, a ferry carrying three Chinese trucks (weighing 80 tons each) carrying products from the Chinese city of Urumqi was sent along the Middle Corridor from the Kazakh Kuryk port to the port of Baku.

Chair of the Transport Committee of the Kazakh Transport Ministry Ali Altai said hundreds of millions of tons of cargo from China to Western countries would be delivered by sea in 52 days and small cargoes by railway in 22 days.

The Middle Corridor reduced the time of vehicle transportation up to 12 days.

The multimodal route, the Middle Corridor, has been operational since 2014, but due to new geopolitical realities, its usage has increased in recent years. Its operation covers Aktau and Kuryk ports in Kazakhstan, the Baku International Sea Trade Port, as well as Poti and Batumi in Georgia.

In 2023, nearly 2.7 million tons of cargo passed through the Middle Corridor (an 86% increase), and in 2024, it is forecasted to reach 4.2 million tons.