Container shipping costs from China to Europe via the Middle Corridor have been gradually increasing since the beginning of 2026 due to instability in the Middle East, the Transport Corridor Research Center (TCRC) reports.
The cost of transporting a 40-foot container from China’s Xi’an terminal through Kazakhstan to the Alyat port near Baku has increased by nearly $500 over the past four months.
In June, the shipping tariff on the route ranged from $6,450 to $6,900 per container, compared with $6,400-$6,800 in May, $6,300-$6,700 in April, and $6,000-$6,500 in March. Industry representatives expect freight rates to rise further.
The ongoing conflicts in the region have pushed transport companies to seek alternative routes, while carriers also cite higher fuel and insurance costs as factors driving up prices.
In June, the cost of transporting a 40-foot container from Xi’an to Azerbaijan’s Alyat port reached $6,450-$6,900. For smaller operators, freight costs may be 5-10% higher than the reported rates, according to estimates by major freight forwarders.
Carriers said the cost of shipping a 40-foot container from Xi’an to Tbilisi terminals increased by $200-$300 in June, reaching $6,800-$7,100.
The average transit time for a container block train travelling along the Xi’an-Altinkol-Aktau-Alyat route was 14-18 days in June.
“Delays on the Middle Corridor route often arise not only due to weather conditions on the Caspian Sea, but also due to lengthy border checks in transit countries,” carriers said.
Meanwhile, the cost of shipping cargo from Xi’an to Turkey’s Ambarli and Mersin ports via Absheron/Alyat increased in June to $7,100-$7,900, compared with $7,000-$7,800 in the previous month.
