Logistics services in Georgia.

Georgia logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Georgia trades by sea through Black Sea ports, by air through international airports, and overland by rail and road. Container traffic is about 636,500 TEU per year, supported by several global shipping lines with local offices. Three seaports, including Batumi and Supsa Marine Terminal, handle general cargo and oil. Railways extend about 1,363 km and connect to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey. Scheduled air services operate from Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi and Sukhum, with small volumes of air cargo moved each year.

Freight forwarders and logistics providers can coordinate multimodal routes linking seaports, airports and inland destinations. Exports focus on cars, copper ore, electricity, garments and wine, while imports are led by cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, natural gas and garments. Goods move under a logistics system with a Logistics Performance Index score of 2.7 and short reported border lead times for import and export.

When choosing freight forwarders in Georgia, shippers work with partners familiar with Black Sea access via ports like Batumi and Supsa Marine Terminal and with rail or road links to neighboring Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey. Forwarders need to handle container flows of about 636,500 TEU and coordinate with lines such as MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM, ANL, APL, Arkas and ZIM that have offices in cities like Poti, Batumi and Tbilisi.

Georgia’s Logistics Performance Index is 2.7, with customs at 2.6 and infrastructure at 2.3, close to world medians except for infrastructure. A capable intermediary can help manage these infrastructure and logistics constraints and use the country’s position in trade with partners such as Turkey, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia, the USA and China. Membership in the WTO and GUAM underpins regional agreements and procedures that experienced forwarders should understand.

Containerized FCL and LCL shipping from and to Georgia uses Black Sea seaports, with around 636,500 TEU handled in a recent year. The World Bank liner connectivity index stands at 5.95, placing the country 137th of 169 globally for shipping connectivity. Batumi, classified as a small port with cargo pier depth of about 12 m and rail access, is one of three listed ports, alongside Sokhumi and Supsa Marine Terminal.

Several global shipping lines have offices in Georgia and support container movements, including MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, ONE, COSCO, Evergreen, HMM, ANL, APL, Arkas and ZIM. Offices are concentrated in Poti, Batumi and Tbilisi. There are two oil terminals, and the merchant marine counts 26 ships, mainly general cargo and other vessel types. This setup allows forwarders to arrange FCL and LCL routings via the Black Sea with onward connections by rail or road.

Rail and road freight in Georgia connects its Black Sea access with neighbors Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey. The rail network extends about 1,363 km and handled about 3.3 billion tonne-km of freight in a recent year. Batumi port has direct rail access, supporting intermodal moves between ships and inland destinations. There are 310 km of coastline and three main ports, plus two oil terminals for energy flows.

Overland routes are framed by borders of 219 km with Armenia, 428 km with Azerbaijan, 894 km with Russia and 273 km with Turkey. This allows road and rail corridors that link Georgia with regional partners that already account for significant shares of its exports and imports. Forwarders often combine rail, road and sea to reach markets such as Azerbaijan, Turkey, Armenia and Russia for cars, copper ore, electricity and other goods.

Customs clearance in Georgia operates within WTO rules and under World Customs Organization standards, with WCO membership in place since 1993. The average applied tariff is about 0.42 percent, indicating generally low import duties. Georgia’s Logistics Performance Index customs score is 2.6, matching the world median of 2.6. Overall LPI performance is 2.7, in line with the global median, and time performance is 3.1, also at the median.

Reported border compliance lead times are about 2 days for both exports and imports. Georgia belongs to the GUAM bloc, which shapes some regional trade arrangements. Shippers typically provide a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document as the basic set for customs processing, while brokers and forwarders manage the detailed procedures. Low tariffs and moderate customs performance help support trade flows in cars, copper ore, electricity, garments, wine and refined petroleum products.