Baku port container throughput rises 30% in January–September

Container throughput at the Port of Baku rose 30% year on year in January–September 2026 to a preliminary 99,800 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), port adviser Khudayar Hasanli said.

Hasanli attributed the growth to cargo flows from China, adding that the final nine-month figures had yet to be confirmed.

The port expects to handle around 123,000 TEU in 2026, compared with more than 107,000 TEU last year.

Hasanli put preliminary expectations for 2027 at 130,000–140,000 TEU, stressing that the outcome would depend on operations across the transport corridor, including infrastructure in Kazakhstan.

The port is also studying the possibility of developing a truck parking and service facility. Hasanli said the assessment focuses on the need for such infrastructure and demand for related services.

The market study would be followed by an assessment of the financial model, then preparation of a master plan and project design.

Hasanli stressed that the initiative remained under study and had not been submitted to the government. Its potential scale, cost and implementation timetable have yet to be determined.

N.Tebrizli