The Middle Corridor is no longer just an alternative trade route; it is becoming a key route in global trade. As this burgeoning route is thriving, its reach has now extended beyond China.  The recent completion of Japan’s first successful transshipment to Türkiye using Middle Corridor infrastructure emphasizes this shift.  Preliminary data indicates that the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor reduces cargo transit time from Japan to Türkiye to just 15-20 days using the multi-modal, trans-continental route versus 45-60 days using sea lanes.  East Asian involvement in the corridor can contribute to supply route diversification.  However, there are infrastructural challenges, particularly related to congestion at key transfer points that require targeted investments in port capacity and rail integration.

On February 25, Danish company Maersk announced that Japan had completed its first trial cargo shipment to Türkiye via the Middle Corridor.  The transshipment followed this route: Nagoya (Japan) — Qingdao (China) — Xi'an (China) — Altynkol (Kazakhstan) — Aktau (Kazakhstan) — Poti (Georgia) — Ambarlı (Türkiye).  This shipment set a precedent in cross-border multimodal logistics from East Asia to Europe, involving complex operations with multiple unloading and loading phases.  While offering shorter transit times than an all-sea route, the shipment required integrating sea transport across the Yellow Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Black Sea with rail connections, but avoided two risk-prone areas, Russia and the Red Sea.

According to Irakli Danelia, Head of Central Asia and Caucasus Business Development at Maersk, the route is designed for general trade shipments between Japan, China, South Korea, and Europe.  Min Young Kim, Head of Cargo Risk and Cross-Border Transportation Management at Maersk in Northeast Asia, stated that the governments of Japan and South Korea have supported this project because they seek to diversify and strengthen international logistics.  While some could see the Middle Corridor only as an alternative route, more companies are now using it.  The successful completion of this shipment demonstrates a serious evaluation of the corridor’s feasibility for large-scale logistics.

However, infrastructure problems remain, particularly at key ports such as Aktau and Poti.  While China has already invested in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Central Asian corridors, Japan’s participation signals a broader diversification strategy.  This initiative could lead to Japan and South Korea becoming major users of the Middle Corridor versus relying on slower sea-lane shipping.

Kazakhstan’s desire to become a logistics hub is also boosted by this development.  Nevertheless, Caspian port capacity bottlenecks remain a problem, calling for investment in ferry connections and railroad integration.  There is a need for regional countries to upgrade certain railway infrastructure, such as the Sivas-Kars-Georgia link.  New railway lines between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are needed to remove congestion points like the Almaty metropolitan area.  Coordinated investment in infrastructure and regulatory measures will also be required to enhance capacity and reliability.

These challenges are part of the World Bank’s 2030 Middle Corridor Action Plan, which estimates that full implementation could halve travel times and triple trade flows by 2030.  In 2024, the total cargo transported across the Middle Corridor increased by about 62%, reaching 4.5 million tons.  To prevent worsening congestion problems, it is crucial to coordinate the expansion of East Asian trade through the corridor with timely infrastructure investments, ensuring that capacity matches with growing trade flows.  

The realization of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan would bring major changes to the Trans-Caspian Corridor’s capabilities.  Reestablishing the rail line running through the Zangezur corridor would reconnect Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Türkiye, enabling the Trans-Caspian Middle Corridor to double its freight capacities while also extending to the Mediterranean Sea.

Maersk’s successful trial validates the extended commercial viability of the Middle Corridor and signals its growing scale as an alternative supply-chain route.  With the right capacity-building initiatives, it has the potential to improve Eurasian logistics, solidifying the role of Caspian countries in transcontinental trade.  The early success of the route also highlights the growing geopolitical and economic importance of Central Asia and South Caucasus as important transit points between East and West.