Imports and exports of containerised goods via rail have been surging in Azerbaijan in the first three quarters of 2023.   This was mentioned by ADY Container, which operates all container transportation within the country.

Exporting goods by containers increased by a whopping 145 per cent, from 4,609 to 11,306 TEUs.    These products included non-ferrous metallurgy, industrial products, and chemical industry products.    When it comes to imports, ADY Container said they increased by about 50 per cent in the first nine months of 2023, from 5,356 to 8,059 TEUs.    The most common goods are industrial and chemical products, non-ferrous metallurgy, construction materials, finished vehicles, and spare parts.

Numbers rise despite significant disruption on one of the main railway crossing Azerbaijan: the Baku-Tblisi-Kars (BTK). The BTK, linking Azerbaijan and Turkey via Georgia, has been somewhat unusable due to alleged maintenance works. However, it seems that both Georgia and Azerbaijan are pointing fingers at each other when discussing who is keeping the line closed. Nevertheless, ADY Container recently launched a sea-rail intermodal service to connect five Turkish ports to the Gerogian ones in Poti and Batumi. From there, goods are moved onto the rail to reach the port of Baku.

Source: Railfreight