BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 17. The first month of 2025 has already seen an increase in cargo transportation via the Caspian Sea Shipping Company (ASCO) vessels, transport expert Rauf Agamirzayev told Trend.
The overall growth in maritime cargo transport in recent years has helped expand trade ties and improve access to international markets. This is also expected to put a feather in Azerbaijan's cap, opening up new avenues for income and boosting the country's economic engine. Moreover, the development of Azerbaijan’s logistics infrastructure will further strengthen its role as a key transport corridor. Azerbaijan’s position within the East-West and North-South transport corridors is expected to be solidified even more.
The growing activity in the maritime transport sector enhances the country's strategic importance, reinforcing both regional power and international trade relations. This expansion in ship-based transport is boosting the reliability and stability of international supply chains.
In the long run, this development is expected to put Azerbaijan on the map in global trade and help it spread its wings economically.
"The activities of ASCO are expanding beyond the Caspian Sea. New and larger Aframax vessels are being deployed, and the Caspian Sea has become one of the key links in the Middle Corridor's crucial maritime transport, further strengthening Azerbaijan's position. The data shows the increasing volume of cargo transported by sea," the expert said.
Moreover, ASCO is shaking things up by refreshing its fleet to boost efficiency, and there's been a noticeable uptick in truck and wheeled vehicle transportation along the East-West corridor from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
"There has been a rise in cargo transport through the Middle Corridor from Central Asian countries and China. This trend is expected to accelerate this year, as per an agreement signed between Azerbaijan and China in the previous year, aiming to increase the number of container trains from 300 to 1,000. ASCO plays a significant role in these shipments," Agamirzayev added.
Notably, the largest growth recorded in the first month of this year was in dry cargo shipments. In January 2024, 60,196 tons of dry cargo were transported, and this figure soared to 180,506 tons in the same month of 2025, marking an increase of over 200 percent.
Liquid cargo shipments via tankers also showed a positive trend, with 328,533 tons of goods transported in January of the previous year, compared to 359,362 tons during the same period this year, reflecting a 9.38 percent growth.
Rail transport throughput experienced an uptick of 2.76 percent,
escalating from 2,688 wagons in January 2024 to 2,762 wagons in
January 2025.
Truck logistics experienced a notable hike, with 2,980 units
mobilized in January 2024, escalating to 4,139 units in January
2025, signifying a robust growth trajectory of approximately 39
percent.
The “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” Joint-Stock Company merged the country’s main fleets, the Azerbaijan State Caspian Sea Shipping Company and the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic’s Caspian Sea Oil Fleet. The “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC has two shipyards and offshore support and commercial fleets. The merchant fleet has 51 ships: 20 tankers, 12 ferries, 16 dry cargo, 1 Ro-Ro, and 2 Ro-Pax. By integrating maritime fleets, the “Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping” CJSC takes on high-level responsibilities.
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