According to the Ministry of Economy, in January-October 2020, the number of containers shipped from or to China via Georgia through the middle corridor amounted to 2343 TEU, which is 35.1% more than in the same period of 2019 (1734 TEU).
The agency revealed that in January-October 2020, using the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, BTK, 1260 TEU was transported, which is 371.9% more than in the same period in 2019 (267 TEU).
According to the Minister of Economy, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is the shortest route between China and Europe, reducing the freight and increasing Georgia's competitiveness in this corridor.
A freight train has made the first transit from Turkey to China today via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The train left Istanbul on December 4 and will arrive in Xi'an Province via the middle transport corridor. The train will have to cover 8,693 kilometers in 12 days while crossing two continents, two seas, and five countries. The train is loaded with home appliances made in Turkey, placed in 42 containers. Until now, the cargo was transported from China to Europe via the middle transport corridor.
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) is a new railway route that connects Europe and Asia via Georgia. The construction began in 2008 and was completed in 2017. The railway has been operating in test mode since 2017. The route for freight transit has been active since 2018.
Bela Gelashvili
News Author