Central Asia's Middle Corridor Gains Ground as West Seeks Alternatives to China Routes.

A regional trade analysis published this month describes Central Asia, including Turkmenistan, as an increasingly important land bridge as Western economies pursue "de-risking" strategies away from single-chokepoint supply chains. The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, running from China through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye into Europe, carried an estimated 4.5 million tonnes of freight over the past year, with container traffic up 36% to roughly 77,000 TEUs and transit times cut from 38–53 days to 18–23 days, according to the analysis. It noted that roughly 80% of containers currently move westbound, and that the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development are funding projects aimed at nearly tripling capacity to 11 million tonnes by 2030.

The findings point to continued investment in rail and port capacity across the corridor's member states as demand for alternatives to traditional east-west shipping lanes keeps growing.