BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 19. The volume of cargo transported by sea and coastal routes in Kazakhstan from January through July 2024 reached 1.6 million tons, marking a 2.1-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023, Trend reports via the Bureau of National Statistics of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms of Kazakhstan.
According to the agency, this figure represents the highest level in the past five years. Cargo turnover for maritime and coastal transport also grew 2.1 times, reaching 966 million ton-kilometers from January through July 2024. This is the highest figure since 2020, both for the January-July period and annually.
The report highlights that the significant increase in cargo transportation is partly due to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor), which connects China to Europe and involves both rail and sea transport.
In Kazakhstan, the sea route along the TITR is supported by the ports of Kuryk and Aktau. A new container hub at the Aktau seaport, set to be operational in 2025, will be capable of handling up to 300,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units, with one TEU representing a standard 20-foot container).
Although the TITR has been operational since 2014, the 2023–2024 period has seen a significant increase in cargo traffic. In 2023, the corridor handled 2.7 million tons of cargo, and in 2024, it is expected to transport over 4.2 million tons.
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