Azerbaijan should expand its warehousing and customs infrastructure — this would not only strengthen its position as a transit hub but also create added value for goods transported to Europe. Murat Dogan, who heads the Customs and Logistics Committee of the Turkish-American Business Association (TABA-AmCham), said this, as reported by FinFly.
According to him, after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, Turkey began to be used as a transit center, but the potential of the route bypassing Georgia was not fully realized afterward.
"This is not just about turning Azerbaijan into a transit center, but about creating warehouses and customs warehouses here, increasing the added value of goods and ensuring their further shipment to Europe," he noted.
Dogan also drew attention to the delivery times for goods along the corridor in question. According to him, amid the war with Iran, transportation of goods along some sea routes takes about one and a half to two months, whereas along this corridor delivery to Europe can take 14 days.
He stressed the importance of improving customs procedures in Azerbaijan, noting that fast and unimpeded customs clearance is of great importance for logistics development.
"In Turkey, high customs duties and longer clearance procedures have become factors influencing the choice of cargo transportation routes. Exchanging experience between Turkish and Azerbaijani specialists can help find ways to reduce customs clearance times," he said.