Baku International Sea Trade Port reports a 37% increase in container throughput for 2025, reaching 105,000 TEU, bolstering Azerbaijan's transit role.
The Baku International Sea Trade Port is set to conclude 2025 with a remarkable 37% increase in container throughput compared to the previous year, as reported by Reuters.
Port chief Eldar Salakhov announced that volumes are expected to reach 105,000 TEU by year-end, up from 76,775 TEU in 2024. The dispatch of the 100,000th container earlier this week highlights Azerbaijan's expanding role in east-west transit flows.
As a crucial hub on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, the port connects China with Europe via Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. Notably, approximately 38-40% of the cargo handled consists of freight originating from China.
This growth has been bolstered by the February 2025 merger of Baku Port with Azerbaijan Railways, following a decree by President Ilham Aliyev. Salakhov noted that the synchronization of port and rail operations has significantly accelerated cargo handling without necessitating major new investments.
Preliminary estimates indicate that throughput could exceed 110,000 TEU in 2026. Originally commissioned in 2018 with a design capacity of 100,000 TEU, efficiency improvements have raised the effective handling capacity to 150,000 TEU.
Expansion work is currently underway for the first phase of development, which aims to increase throughput to over 260,000 TEU. Salakhov expressed hopes of attracting foreign investment to nearly double this figure, although no specific timeline has been provided.
