Georgia’s logistics sector - Business 360° with Mariam Koyava
In this episode, we turned our attention to Georgia’s logistics sector — one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving industries. With the Middle Corridor gaining critical importance, particularly in the context of shifting global trade routes, Georgia’s role as a transit hub is under the spotlight.
Take a look at the key points we’ve discussed:
- In 2024, 3 332 thousand tons of products were shipped through the Middle Corridor — compared to 2 764 thousand tons in 2023
- Container shipments hit 56.5 thousand TEU this year, compared to 20.5 thousand TEU in 2023 and 33.6 thousand TEUin 2022
- The shipment time from China to Europe via the corridor significantly dropped to approximately 18 days, with plans to cut it further to 13–14 days.
In recent years, logistics in Georgia has increasingly become a topic of public discussion. Global developments — the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia — have significantly changed the geography of cargo movement. In this context, interest has grown in the so-called Middle Corridor, which connects Asia to Europe via Georgia.
In 2022, following the imposition of economic sanctions on the Russian Federation, Western and Asian companies began searching for new, less politically risky logistics routes. One of the alternatives considered was the Middle Corridor, which stretches from China through Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, the South Caucasus, and the Black Sea, ultimately reaching Europe.
As a result, in 2022, the volume of cargo transported via the Middle Corridor reached 1.5 million tons — 2.5 times more than the previous year. In 2023, this figure increased to 2.8 million tons, representing an 86% growth.
The Middle Corridor is not a new concept, but recent geopolitical changes have increased its relevance. The key advantage of this route is that it bypasses Russian territory and significantly reduces transit time compared to maritime routes. As the corridor develops, transit time for cargo from China to Europe has decreased from 38–53 days to 18–23 days, with plans to reduce it further to 14–18 days.
Cargo turnover along the Middle Corridor has increased.
According to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route Association, in 2024, 56,500 TEU containers were transported via the so-called Middle Corridor, compared to 20,500 units during the same period in 2023.