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The Middle Corridor

The Trans-Caspian trade route

The Middle Corridor — the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — is the South Caucasus’s most important economic story: an east–west artery moving cargo from China to Europe while bypassing Russia. This hub tracks Caucasus Business Journal’s coverage and the essentials.

The Middle Corridor at a glance

Also known as
Trans-Caspian Intl. Transport Route (TITR)
Route
China – Kazakhstan – Caspian – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Europe
Why it matters
Avoids Russia and the Hormuz / Red Sea chokepoints
Cargo growth
~5x in seven years; 5M+ tonnes in 2025
Key nodes
Aktau/Kuryk · Baku/Alat · Poti/Batumi/Anaklia
Main bottleneck
Caspian vessels & the Anaklia deep-sea port

The Middle Corridor: frequently asked questions

What is the Middle Corridor?

The Middle Corridor — formally the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) — is a multimodal trade route linking China and Central Asia to Europe via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye, bypassing Russia.

What does TITR stand for?

TITR is the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — the formal name for the Middle Corridor.

Which countries does the Middle Corridor cross?

It runs from China across Kazakhstan, over the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, through Georgia, and on to Türkiye and the EU.

Why is the Middle Corridor important?

It is the main east–west route across Eurasia that touches neither Russian territory nor the Hormuz/Red Sea chokepoints — making it central to global supply-chain diversification.

What is the main bottleneck?

Physical capacity at the water’s edge: too few vessels on a shrinking Caspian, and Georgia’s stalled Anaklia deep-sea port.