The Middle Corridor Trade Mission opened in Aktau on September 4–6, 2025, marking the start of a week-long journey across Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Organized by the U.S.–Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, the America-Georgia Business Council, and AmCham Kazakhstan, and certified by the U.S. Commercial Service, the mission is connecting U.S. companies with new opportunities in one of the world’s fastest-growing trade corridors.
The Aktau program combined business-to-business exchanges with high-level government engagement and field visits to the Mangystau region’s key ports. Delegates were welcomed by Jeff Erlich, Executive Director of AmCham Kazakhstan, Chargée d’affaires of the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Kazakhstan Deborah Robinson, and Abbat Urisbayev, Deputy Akim of Mangystau Region, who underlined the importance of U.S.–Kazakhstan partnership in strengthening the Middle Corridor.
We are bringing American companies and U.S. government agencies here to see the Middle Corridor firsthand,” said Jeff Erlich. “Most of the companies represent trade, transport, and logistics, though one participant is exploring the construction of a modular oil refinery in Aktau, which would be in high demand. In Baku, we will also be joined by Wabtec, a major U.S. rail equipment and locomotive manufacturer, and Textron, the producer of Cessna and Beechcraft aircraft.
Deputy Akim Abbat Urisbayev emphasized Mangystau’s dual role as both a transit and development hub:
Through our region, cargo from China, Central Asia, and Russia reaches Turkey and Europe via an efficient route. The combined capacity of the Aktau and Kuryk ports exceeds 20 million tons per year. The Sarzha terminal now under construction, as well as a planned new Caspian logistics hub with Chinese partners, will expand our port infrastructure significantly. Mangystau is not only about transit. We are also advancing agriculture, including camel breeding and fish farming, while the region’s natural and historical heritage make it one of Kazakhstan’s leading tourism destinations.
Throughout the mission, participants also heard from Kazakh Invest, which presented investment opportunities in the region, and the Ministry of Transport, which outlined ongoing upgrades to logistics infrastructure and customs processes. Local business leaders from Semurg Invest, Recon-Aktau, and ERSAI shared perspectives on private-sector growth and opportunities for cooperation.
U.S. government agencies played a central role, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), the U.S. Trade and Development Administration (USTDA), and the U.S. Commercial Service.
It is important to view the Trans-Caspian route not only in terms of transport and logistics, but also as an economic corridor,” said Michael Cofield, Senior Attorney-Advisor with the CLDP. “Alongside the rail stations, small and medium enterprises will be needed to provide food, materials, and services. This corridor therefore brings economic diversification and a multiplier effect that extends far beyond transport itself.
Delegates visited Aktau International Sea Port, ERSAI, the Sarzha terminal, and Kuryk Port, where they received first-hand briefings on operations and future development plans. These visits provided a close look at the infrastructure driving the Middle Corridor’s rapid expansion.
With its program in Kazakhstan now complete, the trade mission has departed by ferry across the Caspian Sea and continues on to Baku, Azerbaijan, for meetings with senior officials, business leaders, and site visits to the Alat Free Economic Zone and the Baku International Sea Trade Port.
➡️ Find more photos from the trade mission following this link.
