Logistics services in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Azerbaijan is landlocked, so international freight moves in and out mainly by road, rail and air, with access to overseas markets routed via foreign seaports. Road links connect Baku to gateway ports such as Samsun in Türkiye, Novorossiysk in Russia, Abadan in Iran and Al Basrah in Iraq, at road distances of about 1,450 to 1,540 km. Scheduled air services from five international airports support time sensitive cargo, while a rail network of about 2,944 km carries bulk and containerized freight toward regional hubs.

Export flows, worth about 25 billion USD in 2025, center on crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, plastics and electricity. Imports of about 24 billion USD include cars, crude and refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment and garments. Shippers can arrange multimodal routings via CIS and GUAM partners, using road or rail to reach seaports and then liner services managed by carriers with offices in Baku.

When assessing freight forwarders in Azerbaijan, check their experience organizing cross-border trucking to gateway ports such as Samsun, Novorossiysk, Abadan and Al Basrah. Performance in this market sits below the world median on logistics competence and tracking, while customs and infrastructure scores are closer to global mid-range, so operational expertise matters.

Look for forwarders that work regularly with Azerbaijan’s main trade partners, for example Italy, Turkey, Russia, China and Israel. Membership of blocs such as CIS and GUAM shapes some trade relationships, so regional familiarity is helpful. Forwarders with direct links to carriers like ANL, APL, CMA CGM, COSCO and Evergreen in Baku can coordinate door-to-door container flows more efficiently.

Azerbaijan is landlocked, so sea containers move through road gateway ports in neighboring countries. Typical routings connect Baku by road to Samsun in Türkiye at about 1,451 km, to Novorossiysk in Russia at about 1,485 km, to Abadan in Iran at about 1,490 km, and to Al Basrah in Iraq at about 1,538 km. Several global shipping lines, including ANL, APL, CMA CGM, COSCO, and Evergreen, have offices in Baku to coordinate FCL and LCL shipping through these gateway ports.

Export and import values are both above 24 billion USD in 2025, so there is significant containerized trade potential using these corridors. Azerbaijan’s merchant marine counts 312 vessels with a mix of general cargo and oil tankers, which supports regional cargo movements even without domestic seaports. Forwarding arrangements usually combine international liner services calling at the gateway ports with cross-border road haulage to and from Baku.

Air freight in Azerbaijan is supported by five airports with scheduled services: Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) in Baku, plus Ganja (GNJ), Nakhchivan (NAJ), Gabala (GBB) and Lachin (LHL). In 2023, air carriers moved about 1,434 million tonne km of cargo, indicating established long haul flows for higher value or time critical shipments.

This mode aligns with export goods such as refined petroleum and plastics when transit time is critical, and with imported items like cars, broadcasting equipment and garments where speed or security justifies higher freight cost. With 32 airports overall, domestic air links can also serve remote locations, feeding international flights via Baku or other international gateways managed by freight forwarders and airline cargo handlers.

Rail and road freight in Azerbaijan underpins most cross border cargo movements. The rail network extends for about 2,944 km, supporting both domestic traffic and international connections, with rail freight volume reaching about 5.3 billion tonne km in 2021. Rail offers an option for bulk and container traffic moving toward neighboring states and on to maritime gateways.

Road corridors connect Azerbaijan to Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Russia and Turkey, with border lengths ranging from 17 km with Turkey to 996 km with Armenia. From Baku, trucks typically run about 1,451 km to Samsun, 1,485 km to Novorossiysk, 1,490 km to Abadan and 1,538 km to Al Basrah to reach deep sea services. These mixed rail road options allow shippers to balance cost and transit times when routing exports and imports.

Azerbaijan is a member of the World Customs Organization, with membership recorded since 17 June 1992, and is not part of the WTO. It participates in CIS and GUAM blocs, which shape some regional trade patterns. The average applied tariff stood at about 5.45 percent in 2022, influencing landed cost calculations for importers.

The logistics performance index customs score was 2.57 in 2014, very close to the world median of 2.6. Time to clear exports and imports was relatively short in 2018, at about 3 days for exports and 2 days for imports. For customs clearance, shippers should prepare at least a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document, and work with brokers familiar with Azerbaijan’s transit oriented routes and main partners such as Italy, Turkey, Russia and China.