BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 10. Kazakhstan’s Port
Kuryk processed 884,800 tonnes of cargo in the first half of 2026,
with rail freight accounting for the largest share at 475,500
tonnes, while 104,100 tonnes passed through the port’s grain
terminal.
According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, rail freight accounted for
53.7% of total throughput, including 242,300 tonnes in export
direction and 233,200 tonnes in import direction. Road cargo
totaled 306,200 tonnes (34.6%), with exports accounting for 151,400
tonnes and imports for 154,800 tonnes. The grain terminal handled
104,100 tonnes, representing 11.8% of total volume.
Port Kuryk processes export, import and transit cargo within the
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle
Corridor), connecting Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan across the Caspian
Sea.
The port’s role is expanding alongside the broader growth of the
Middle Corridor. Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Trade and
Integration Aset Nusupov told Trend that the route has become one of the country’s
key strategic assets over the past decade. “The figures speak for
themselves. Over three years, from 2022 to 2025, the volume of
transportation along the route increased more than fivefold. By the
end of 2025, total cargo traffic reached 4.5–4.7 million tonnes, of
which container transportation accounted for 76,900 TEUs, 36% more
than a year earlier,” Nusupov said.
He noted that in the first quarter of 2026, 125 container trains
operated along the route, representing a 34.4% increase compared
with the same period of 2025. During the same period, 85 trains
operated on the Xi’an–Alat Port route, twice as many as a year
earlier. Transit times along the corridor have also improved,
declining from 28–32 days to 11–13 days.
According to Nusupov, the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan segment remains
central to the corridor’s development.
“The Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat is currently the
largest port on the Caspian Sea, with a capacity of up to 15
million tonnes and plans to expand it to 25 million tonnes.
Kazakhstan, in turn, is accelerating the development of the Aktau
and Kuryk ports, with the capacity of port infrastructure planned
to reach 30 million tonnes per year,” he said.
The vice minister emphasized that cooperation between Kazakhstan
and Azerbaijan remains a key factor in advancing the route.
“The Middle Corridor is a joint project of Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan, and our interests in its development fully coincide. I
would even say that this is a shared legacy that we will be able to
proudly leave to future generations,” Nusupov said.
Trend’s analysis shows that Port Kuryk’s H1 throughput of
884,800 tonnes annualizes to approximately 1.77 million tonnes,
reflecting the growing importance of Kazakhstan’s Caspian
infrastructure within the Middle Corridor. As one of the country’s
newer Caspian terminals, Kuryk is increasingly positioned as one of
the key growth points for the route’s Caspian segment, particularly
for rail ferry and Ro-Ro cargo flows between Kazakhstan and
Azerbaijan.
The port’s development is supported by planned capacity
expansion measures. Kazakhstan has ordered eight new dry cargo
vessels for the Kuryk–Baku route at a cost of 74.3 billion tenge
($155 million), with deliveries expected by the end of 2028. Until
additional vessels enter service, shipping capacity remains one of
the main factors influencing the pace of further growth.
The relatively balanced export and import flows through Kuryk –
393,700 tonnes outbound versus 388,000 tonnes inbound across rail
and road cargo – are notable for a developing transit route.
Balanced flows indicate that the corridor is supporting two-way
trade rather than functioning primarily as a one-direction export
channel, which improves the commercial sustainability of ferry
operations.
The grain terminal’s 104,100 tonnes in H1, annualizing to
approximately 208,000 tonnes, remains a modest share of
Kazakhstan’s overall grain exports. However, its strategic
importance exceeds its current volume. Grain transportation through
the Caspian provides Kazakhstan with an additional export option
and expands access to markets in the South Caucasus, Iran and
beyond.
Kuryk’s current throughput represents a relatively small share
of Kazakhstan’s total transit freight, but its importance lies in
the segment it serves. As infrastructure improvements continue –
including vessel fleet expansion and upgrades at Kazakhstan’s
Caspian ports – the maritime section of the Middle Corridor remains
one of the areas with significant potential for future growth.
