Japan assesses Middle Corridor freight route and funds Aktau port upgrades

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According to The Times of Central Asia, Japan is assessing greater use of the Middle Corridor following trial shipments by Japanese companies, while Tokyo funds customs upgrades at Kazakhstan’s port of Aktau worth up to $4.5 million. The results of the trials were presented at an October 19 conference in Tokyo, evaluating delivery times, costs, customs procedures, and logistics services.

Japan’s grant, agreed in January and valued at up to 719 million yen (approximately $4.5 million), provides for installing a stationary X-ray inspection system for large cargo at Aktau. The equipment is expected to reduce inspection times by two-thirds. Kei Takagi, Japan’s State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, linked Tokyo’s interest in the route to efforts to diversify international transport routes and strengthen trade with Central Asia and the Caucasus.

In 2025, the Middle Corridor handled 4.12 million metric tons of freight, down from 4.48 million tons in 2024. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport noted that transit times along the corridor have fallen from 28–32 days to 13–17 days. Conference participants also noted the October 15 inauguration of a 380-kilometer Caspian seabed fiber-optic cable between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, while Air Astana plans to launch scheduled flights between Almaty and Tokyo’s Narita Airport in December 2026.