Uzbekistan secures tariff preferences for fertilizer and oil product transit through Kuryk port
Uzbek companies will receive preferential tariffs for transporting fertilizers and petroleum products through Kazakhstan’s Kuryk port to ports in Georgia, opening more favorable conditions for trade along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
Uzbekistan has secured preferential tariff rates for the transit of fertilizers and oil products through Kazakhstan's Kuryk port, following an agreement between the railway administrations of both countries.
Bakhytkerei Alibekov, deputy general director of Kuryk Port LLP, confirmed that the port has agreed to reduced tariffs for transporting petroleum products from Uzbekistan to Georgian ports. Alibekov highlighted Kuryk's strategic geographical position as its primary advantage, noting its proximity to Kazakhstan's southern regions and Uzbekistan.
Recent dredging work at Kuryk in 2024 has significantly improved efficiency, cutting the ferry processing time from 20 hours to 12 hours and enabling ferries to carry an additional 500 tonnes of cargo. This agreement is anticipated to bolster Uzbekistan's exports to European markets via the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus.
Uzbekistan is also increasing its utilization of Kazakhstan's other Caspian ports. Arman Zhakupov, executive director of the Aktau International Sea Trade Port, reported that approximately 50,000 tonnes of transit cargo destined for Uzbekistan and over 1,700 containers passed through the Port of Aktau during the first half of the year. Zhakupov stated that the port is fully accessible for Uzbek import and export cargo, with container trains capable of speeds up to 1,000 kilometers per day.
Jamoliddinkhuja Abdikarimov, Uzbekistan’s consul general in Aktau, emphasized the importance of the Mangystau region, which hosts four ports, as a crucial gateway for Uzbek exports to European markets. He added that the Port of Aktau has already provided temporary storage facilities for Uzbek exporters.
Aitkali Nurmagambetov, director of the Aktau International Container Hub, also expressed interest in future collaborations with Uzbek container terminals, including the Chukursay Container Hub.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route connects Central Asia with the Caucasus, Türkiye, and Europe. In 2025, the volume of Uzbek cargo handled through the ports of Aktau and Kuryk saw an increase of over 60%.
Aktau, Kazakhstan's largest maritime transport hub, boasts an annual handling capacity of approximately 12 million tonnes. Combined with Kuryk, the country's Caspian maritime infrastructure has a total capacity of about 22 million tonnes.
Container transit through Kazakhstan’s ports along the Trans-Caspian route experienced a 3.8-fold increase between 2022 and 2025. The first phase of the Aktau container hub is currently operational, and upon completion of its second phase in 2027–2028, the hub's capacity is projected to reach 240,000 twenty-foot equivalent units per year.