First Block Train from Uzbekistan to Brazil Sets Off on Middle Corridor

The first-ever block train bound for Brazil departed from the First Dry Port Terminal in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, marking a significant achievement in transcontinental rail and maritime logistics.

The train, carrying 54 forty-foot containers, is transporting 1,512 tons of urea sent by Uzkimyoimpeks – Uzbekistan’s leading export-import operator in the chemical industry.

The train's route crosses Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, where at the Black Sea port of Poti, the containers will be transferred onto a vessel for the sea phase of the journey to Paranaguá Port in Brazil.

A representative of Uzbekistan’s First Dry Port Terminal stated that the estimated delivery time for this multimodal route is 60 to 70 days. The overland journey from Uzbekistan to Poti is expected to take 20 days, while the sea voyage to Brazil will last 35 to 45 days.

This landmark shipment highlights the growing connectivity between Central Asia and global markets through the Caspian Sea and the South Caucasus, reinforcing the Middle Corridor's role as a vital trade link for Eurasian and intercontinental transport.

According to the latest data from the State Statistics Agency, Uzbekistan's railway network transported a total of 36.1 million tons of cargo in January-June 2024.

Tashkent has long been aiming for a robust integration into to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, to increase transit cargo volume on a shorter and faster route. The European Union is pinned as the primary market for Uzbek goods. In this vein, Uzbekistan intends to increase cargo transportation on the Middle Corridor to the EU countries through Bulgaria.

However, the authorities of this Central Asian nation have been exerting efforts to diversify target markets by leveraging the Middle Corridor’s potential.

Azerbaijan is actively collaborating with Uzbekistan to integrate it into the Middle Corridor. This partnership focuses on improving infrastructure and logistics, including joint ventures in logistics centers and intermodal transport connections between Samarkand and Baku. These initiatives aim to provide Uzbekistan with direct access to the Caspian Sea and European markets through Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, in September, Uzbekistan inked a document on the establishment of the "Eurasian Transport Route" International Association in Baku. The association aims to combine rail capacities of Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, China and Austria for reviving a southern branch along the Middle Corridor. The recent shipment from Uzbekistan to Brazil could be seen as the first significant realization of this route.

Another significant project is the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway line, which promises to unlock new logistical routes for Central Asia and a greater region. This corridor will plug countries like Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan into global markets.