Middle Corridor becomes important route for businesses in South Korea and Japan

By Alimat Aliyeva

The Danish transport and logistics corporation Maersk has successfully completed its first trial cargo transportation from Japan through the Middle Corridor, Azernews reports.

The transportation route passed through the following key points: Nagoya (Japan) - Qingdao (China) - Xi'an (China) - Poti (Georgia) - Ambarly (Turkiye).

Maersk highlights that this successful transportation demonstrates the potential of the Middle Corridor as a critical trade route, offering an integrated and efficient logistics solution for businesses seeking to connect Asia and Europe.

Irakli Danelia, Head of Business Development in Central Asia and the Caucasus, emphasized that the Middle Corridor is becoming a vital tool for diversifying supply chains from China, Japan, and Korea to Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the landlocked countries of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan.

Min Young Kim, Head of Risk Management for Freight and Cross-border Transportation at Maersk Northeast Asia, noted that the Middle Corridor provides a valuable opportunity for South Korean and Japanese companies exporting products to Europe. He believes that this route offers a reliable and efficient logistics solution that enhances the sustainability of supply chains and reduces transit time.

The Middle Corridor is an international transport route that spans China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and further into Turkiye and European countries. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a key component of the corridor.

This development is particularly significant in the context of the ongoing shift in global trade routes, as companies are looking for alternatives to the traditional maritime routes, which have been facing challenges such as congestion, high costs, and geopolitical tensions. The Middle Corridor offers a faster and potentially more secure alternative, providing more predictable transit times and increased resilience to supply chain disruptions. Additionally, with the Belt and Road Initiative fostering infrastructure development in many of the countries along the route, the Middle Corridor could become an even more critical link in global trade, especially for goods moving between Asia and Europe.