Deputy Economy Minister says Georgia emerging as “significant player” in Middle Corridor after receiving pilot shipment from China

Georgian Deputy Economy Minister Guram Guramishvili on Monday announced a successful pilot shipment from China through the Middle Corridor logistics route, and said the development marked his country's emergence as a “significant player in the global supply chain”.

Cars loaded in the Chinese city of Ürümqi entered Georgia after travelling via Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan on Sunday.

Guramishvili said while the cargo’s final destination was Georgia for the pilot shipment, it was possible to send freight from China to Europe via the Corridor route in the future. 

He also added a transit shipment to Turkey through Georgia was planned on a similar route in July.

An organised road transport from China to Georgia presents an important opportunity for importers and entrepreneurs with trade and economic ties with China. This type of road transportation will make their mobility much easier and will speed up the entry of goods into Georgia in the supply chain”, he said.

Additionally, the Deputy Minister noted this route had been operating as a rail transport since 2017, while this year, bilateral and multiple road transportation permits were exchanged between the countries.

As the number of such shipments increases, different types of logistics services will be developed in the country. Georgia’s infrastructure is developing intensively and the East-West Highway is an evidence of the efforts. Furthermore, several global transport projects are being implemented in the country, such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and railway modernisation projects, as well as the active phase of construction procedures for the Anaklia deep sea port project”, Guramishvili said.

Guramishvili said while it took 52 days to ship cargo from China to Europe by sea, container shipping to Georgian ports through the Middle Corridor was possible in 12 days, adding the route was “extremely attractive” for shipping companies.