Azerbaijan transit cargo reaches five-year high

Azerbaijan’s transit cargo volumes reached 9.1 million tonnes during the first seven months of 2026, marking an 11.6% year-on-year increase and a five-year high. This growth is driven by infrastructure modernization, digitalization, and improved efficiency across the East-West and North-South international transport corridors.

On the East-West route, also known as the Middle Corridor, transit volumes rose by 16.5%. Significant reforms have reduced China-to-Europe transit times from a previous range of 38 to 53 days to an average of approximately 12 days.

To further support these flows, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) is working to accelerate cargo movement between Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Recent inspections of the Dilucu-Sadarak and Gürbulak-Bazergan border crossings focused on improving procedures through the TIR system and the TIR-EPD platform. These digital tools allow carriers to provide cargo information to customs in advance, facilitating ‘green corridors’ that enhance predictability and speed at border crossing points.