ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 9. Kazakhstan's Aktau seaport handled over 1.1 million tons of cargo in the first quarter of 2024, Trend reports.
According to Kazakhstan Railways (KTZ, national company), this is 14 percent higher than the same period in 2023.
At the same time, the seaport handled 24,000 tons of grain and more than 920,000 tons of oil and petroleum products.
Moreover, Aktau Seaport handled over 7,400 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEUs), which is 33 percent more than in the first quarter of 2023. This also includes 6,400 TEUs along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor). This figure increased by 85 percent compared to last year.
The Kazakh Aktau seaport is one of the components of the Middle Corridor, which ensures the dispatch of cargo in the direction of the Baku port of Azerbaijan for further export to European countries. The government of Kazakhstan is implementing a number of projects to develop this port in order to increase the transportation of goods along the Middle Corridor in the future. A large container hub is being built at the port, cargo berths are being reconstructed, and dredging work is underway.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor.
The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye before reaching Europe.
The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.
