Azerbaijan leads imported goods to Georgia as rail transit surges

Freight volumes transported via the Georgian Railway in the third quarter of 2025 declined slightly, dropping 1.4% compared with the same period in 2024, totalling 3.5 million tons, according to data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Sakstat) reported by Caliber.Az.

Domestic shipments accounted for 9.5% of the total rail freight, while international shipments (excluding transit) made up 32.4%, and transit freight represented 58.1%.

During the third quarter, exports from Georgia via international rail accounted for 22.7% of the total international freight, while imports constituted 77.3%.

Azerbaijan emerged as the leading sender of imported rail goods, contributing 32% of the total, followed by Russia with 29.1%. Other countries each accounted for less than 10% of imported freight, totalling 38.9%.

Among Georgia’s top export destinations, Armenia received 22.1% of shipped goods, Kazakhstan 11.6%, and Russia 6.3%.

Transit freight was primarily directed to the Netherlands (16.2%), Türkiye (10%), and China (7.2%), with smaller volumes sent to Italy (2.9%), Ukraine (2.4%), and Romania (0.7%).

Additionally, Brazil accounted for 9.2% of transit shipments, while Türkiye contributed 2.6% during the same period.

By Tamilla Hasanova