UN/LOCODE: AZBAK | Caspian Sea | Alat, Azerbaijan
Port of Baku (Alat): Caspian Gateway and Apparel Shipping Guide
The Port of Baku is the Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC, built at Alat about 70 km south of the capital and opened in 2018. It is the largest port on the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan's main cargo gateway. Because the Caspian has no ocean outlet, apparel from the Philippines reaches Alat either overland from a Black Sea port in Georgia or by a feeder crossing from Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This guide covers the berths, the rail and ferry links, Azerbaijani customs, and how a garment container travels from a Philippine factory to an Alat quay.
- Philippine load portsDavao (DICT), Manila (MICT), Cebu, or Batangas
- Ocean linehaulVia the Suez Canal and the Bosphorus
- Black Sea GeorgiaDischarge at Poti or Batumi
- Overland legRail or road through Tbilisi to Baku
- Port of Baku (Alat)Discharge, customs, and onward delivery
Why apparel importers route cargo through Alat
The old Port of Baku sat in the middle of Baku Bay and dated back to 1902. The city's waterfront was redeveloped and the cargo port was rebuilt on a 400 hectare site at Alat, in the Garadagh district, with the ferry terminal opening in 2014, the RoRo terminal in January 2018, and the whole complex inaugurated on 14 May 2018. The new location put the port at the junction of Azerbaijan's main railways and highways, with room to grow that the old city site never had.
A port that links rail, road, and sea
Alat was chosen because the site joins the main rail and road corridors of Azerbaijan in one place. Containers can be discharged at the quay, lifted straight onto rail, or moved by truck, without a long haul through the capital. That matters for Caspian ferry traffic, where a box often arrives by ship and leaves by rail on the same visit.
Built to grow for the Middle Corridor
A second construction phase has been announced to take the port toward 25 million tonnes and 500,000 TEU a year. The plan adds container terminals, more berths, and better rail intermodal facilities to serve rising Middle Corridor volumes. Confirm current berth and terminal availability with the forwarder at the time of booking, because works phase in over time.
The port is owned by Azerbaijan Railways and sits under the AZCON Holding structure, with the Baku International Sea Trade Port CJSC running the complex. Practical planning for a garment container should always start from the current sailing schedule and the nominated forwarder, not from a static capacity figure.
Inside the port: what each terminal handles
The complex has 13 berths with roughly 2,100 metres of quay. Cargo is split by type across a universal container terminal, two RoRo berths, a rail ferry terminal, and general cargo and service berths. Which berth a garment container uses depends on how it arrived and where it is going next.
Container terminal
The universal container terminal is built around seven berths and is the main facility for box cargo. A garment container arriving from the Black Sea corridor, or by feeder across the Caspian, is handled here for customs and onward dispatch.
Roll on and roll off
Two RoRo berths take roll on and roll off ships for trucks and trailers. This traffic is mostly road freight, so normal containerized garment cargo does not use these berths unless the shipment is moving as a truck load.
Rail ferry terminal
The rail ferry terminal opened in September 2014 and links Alat with Aktau and Kuryk in Kazakhstan and Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan. Rail wagons roll aboard for the Caspian crossing, which is how a box can continue toward Central Asia without being unloaded.
General cargo and service
Breakbulk, project cargo, and a service berth for support vessels round out the complex. These handle the non container traffic that shares the port, from bulk materials to equipment, and support the wider Alat industrial area.
From Philippine ports to an Alat quay
Azerbaijan has no ocean coast. The Caspian Sea is a closed body of water, so an ocean container from the Philippines cannot sail directly to Alat. The usual path is an ocean linehaul to Georgia on the Black Sea, followed by an overland leg by rail or road through Tbilisi to Baku. A second option moves the box across the Caspian by feeder ship after it has reached Azerbaijan by land.
Philippine load ports
Garment cargo is stuffed and sealed at Davao (DICT), Manila (MICT), Cebu, or Batangas, then loaded on a linehaul vessel.
Ocean linehaul
The vessel transits the Suez Canal and the Bosphorus to reach the Black Sea, subject to carrier routing and space.
Black Sea Georgia
The container is discharged at Poti or Batumi, the two Georgian ports that feed the eastbound corridor to Baku.
Rail or road through Tbilisi
The box moves overland across Georgia and on to Baku, usually by rail, then clears customs at the port.
The planning estimate for the ocean leg from a Philippine load port to Georgia is 28 to 45 days, with the overland leg to Alat added on top. Custom cut and sew production usually takes 3 to 6 weeks after sample, artwork, and payment approval, and that time is separate from the sailing. Carrier schedules, transshipment, border timing, and weather on the Caspian can move the final date.
The Trans Caspian route and the Baku Tbilisi Kars railway
Alat sits at the centre of the Middle Corridor, also called the Trans Caspian International Transport Route. The corridor links China and Central Asia with Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkiye, and Europe without crossing Russia. Its rail backbone is the Baku Tbilisi Kars (BTK) line, which runs from Baku through Tbilisi to Kars in Turkiye.
The corridor across the Caspian
Cargo crosses the Caspian by rail ferry or feeder ship between Alat and the Kazakh ports of Aktau and Kuryk, or Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan. From Alat the BTK railway carries it on toward Georgia and Turkiye, and from there into Europe. Modernization works on the BTK line completed in 2026, which restored it to full capacity and strengthened the whole corridor.
A second corridor at the same quay
Alat also sits on the International North South Transport Corridor, which connects Russia and the Caspian with Iran and the Indian Ocean. For an apparel importer this means the same port can serve Central Asian and South Asian destinations, not only the Europe facing route, which widens the options for regional distribution.
Rail gauge changes at the Georgian and Turkish borders, so containers are transshipped or bogies are changed at those points. The forwarder books the through rail service and handles the gauge transfer as part of the corridor movement.
Azerbaijan customs, duty, and documents
Imports into Azerbaijan are controlled by the State Customs Committee. Clothing and textiles typically attract a customs duty of about 15 percent, and value added tax of 18 percent is charged on the CIF value plus the duty. Clearance is usually 1 to 2 business days when the paperwork is complete, and 3 to 7 days if there is a discrepancy.
What a garment entry normally carries
Azerbaijan is not in the European Union, so EU preferences such as the REX origin statement and the EU GSP do not apply to an Alat entry. The importer should plan for the standard landed cost:
- Customs duty: about 15 percent on clothing and textiles, set by the tariff line.
- VAT: 18 percent, calculated on the CIF value plus the customs duty.
- Classification: the correct TN VED code drives the rate, so an advance ruling is worth considering for a new product line.
Declaration and release
The declaration can be filed on paper or electronically through the Smart Customs app or the e services portal. An authorised customs representative lodges it for a commercial import. The State Customs Committee is the releasing authority, and the importer or the broker settles duty and VAT before the goods are released into free circulation.
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Signed import contract with contract number | Establishes the buyer and seller and the terms of the sale for the entry |
| Customs declaration | The legal basis for clearance, filed on paper or electronically |
| Bill of lading | Confirms the shipment and the discharging port, stated as AZBAK |
| Sales invoice and packing list | States value, quantity, and carton details for assessment |
| Certificate of origin | Identifies Philippine origin where the importer needs it for records |
| Certificate of quality | Supports the goods declaration, and can carry the test reports a buyer requests |
| Permissions from the relevant state body | Required only where a product or import type needs a specific approval |
These notes are planning prompts, not a binding tariff ruling. Confirm the exact product scope, TN VED line, and duty with a licensed customs broker before production labels and packaging are approved. Rules change, and the responsible importer holds the final classification.
A free zone built beside the quay
The Alat Free Economic Zone was established in 2020 in the Alat settlement, next to the port. It was created to attract export oriented manufacturing and traded services with fiscal and non fiscal incentives, and it uses the port, the rail network, and a planned cargo airport as one logistics package.
Logistics centres on site
A road logistics centre covers 5 hectares with an annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes, and a rail logistics centre is planned on 21 hectares for goods moving by train. Both are set up to consolidate and distribute cargo that arrives through the port.
A cargo airport in the plan
An air cargo facility is planned at the zone with an initial capacity of 500,000 tonnes a year, rising toward 1.5 million tonnes. It complements the seaport and rail links for urgent or high value freight that cannot wait for a sailing.
Why it matters for garments
For an apparel brand, the zone supports regional warehousing, labelling, re packaging, and distribution, and it can act as a base for re export into Central Asia. The incentives are set by the zone authority, so any plan should be checked against the current rules and eligibility.
Alat compared with its corridor partners
Alat is the destination for an Azerbaijan delivery, but the shipment passes through other ports on the way. The table below places the main Caspian and Black Sea gateways side by side so the routing choice is clear.
| Factor | Baku, Alat (AZBAK) | Batumi (GEBUS) | Aktau (KZAAU) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea position | Caspian Sea, west shore at Alat | Black Sea, southeast shore of Georgia | Caspian Sea, Kazakhstan shore |
| Ocean access | None, reached overland from Georgia or by feeder | Direct ocean vessel via the Bosphorus | None, reached by rail from the east side or by feeder |
| Best for | Azerbaijan and Caspian transit | Georgia and Black Sea discharge | Kazakhstan and Central Asian distribution |
| Rail links | Baku Tbilisi Kars line and the domestic network | Georgian Railway to Tbilisi | Kazakhstan rail to Aktau and Kuryk |
| Customs authority | State Customs Committee (Azerbaijan) | Georgian Revenue Service | State Revenue Committee (Kazakhstan) |
| Role in the corridor | Main Caspian gateway, phase two planned | The usual ocean discharge point for Alat cargo | Ferry partner across the Caspian |
Port codes shown are the UN/LOCODE for each location. Transit estimates vary with carrier schedules, rail capacity, border timing, and weather on the Caspian, so confirm the final routing with the forwarder for the actual order.
Shipping apparel to the Port of Baku (Alat)
What is the UN/LOCODE for the Port of Baku?
The United Nations Code for Trade and Transport Locations for the Port of Baku is AZBAK. It should be stated on the bill of lading and the commercial invoice as the port of discharge for an Alat delivery.
Does Azerbaijan have direct ocean access?
No. The Caspian Sea has no outlet to the ocean, so a container cannot sail from the Philippines straight to Alat. Ocean cargo is discharged at a Black Sea port in Georgia, usually Poti or Batumi, and then moves overland to Baku. A second option is a feeder crossing from Kazakhstan or Turkmenistan into Alat for cargo that is already on the Caspian.
How does apparel from the Philippines reach Alat?
Garments are stuffed at a Philippine load port such as Davao, Manila, Cebu, or Batangas, then carried by ocean linehaul via the Suez Canal and the Bosphorus to Georgia. From Poti or Batumi the container travels by rail or road through Tbilisi to Baku, where it clears customs at Alat or another entry point.
What duty does apparel pay on arrival in Azerbaijan?
Clothing and textiles typically attract a customs duty of about 15 percent, and value added tax of 18 percent is charged on the CIF value plus the duty. Azerbaijan is not in the European Union, so EU preferences do not apply. The exact rate depends on the TN VED classification, and the importer's customs broker confirms it at the time of clearance.
How long does shipping from the Philippines to Baku take?
The planning estimate for the ocean leg to Georgia is 28 to 45 days, with the overland leg to Alat added on top. Custom production usually takes 3 to 6 weeks after sample, artwork, and payment approval, and that time is separate from the sailing. Carrier schedules, transshipment, border timing, and Caspian weather can change the final date.
Can a container continue past Alat into Central Asia?
Yes. The rail ferry terminal at Alat links with Aktau and Kuryk in Kazakhstan and Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan, and the Baku Tbilisi Kars railway carries cargo west toward Georgia and Turkiye. Which service is used depends on the destination and the carrier schedule, and the forwarder books the through movement.
Plan a shipment through the Port of Baku (Alat)
Send your garment type, quantity, sizes, decoration method, target delivery date, and destination city in Azerbaijan. The export desk will respond with routing options and a freight indication.
Related sourcing and logistics guides
- Import from the Philippines to Azerbaijan
- Heydar Aliyev International Airport Guide
- Import from the Philippines to Georgia
- Sea Transport and Sea Freight Services
- Inland Transport Services
- Air Transport Services
- International Transport Services
- Port of Constanta Guide
- Port of Piraeus Guide
- Districts of Azerbaijan Reference
- Products and Services
Sailing schedules, transit times, and freight rates are subject to carrier space, port congestion, and fuel adjustment factors. Confirm the booking details with the export desk before the order is committed.