H1 pattern

Sea + rail via Poti and Aktau — best $/kg corridor for FCL reefer volume.

Why this page exists

This is the workhorse route for volume retail citrus, onion, potato, pomegranate, date, and juice-grade processing. Lowest $/kg on the five corridor options. This page must clarify total transit, reefer integrity, and the transhipment chain.

Required sections

1. Route overview — Alexandria / Damietta / El Sokhna → Mediterranean
   • Black Sea to Poti (Georgia) → rail / road Poti → Baku (Azerbaijan) → Caspian ferry Baku → Aktau (Kazakhstan) → rail Aktau → Tashkent (Angren).
2. Transit total — 25–40 days end-to-end typically.
3. Leg breakdown — sea Alexandria → Poti ~7–10 days; Poti → Baku road/rail ~3–5 days; Baku → Aktau ferry 1–3 days transit
   • Caspian queue variable; Aktau → Tashkent rail 7–14 days.
4. Reefer integrity — 40 ft reefer sealed at Alexandria; one transhipment at Aktau onto rail reefer; +/-2 °C setpoint tolerance across legs.
5. Commodities that fit — Navel, Valencia, Murcott, Nadorcott, Wonderful, Medjool, Barhi, onion, potato, tomato winter, processing-grade.
6. Cost band — best $/kg of the 5 routes.
7. Main risks — Caspian ferry weather queue; Poti port congestion; rail reefer availability peak season.
8. Documentation pack — BL, phyto, CoO, ACID, packing list, invoice, ISPM-15.
9. Tashkent dry-port arrival — Angren dry-port for customs clearance + onward distribution.

Required facts

• Total transit 25–40 days [S12]
• Sea leg Alexandria → Poti ~7–10 days
• This is the lowest $/kg of the five corridor routes
• Middle Corridor throughput materially expanded 2022 onward [S11][S12]

Required FAQs

• Q: Is reefer integrity safe across Caspian transhipment? A: Yes when the container is sealed at Alexandria and the rail reefer is pre-cooled at Aktau. Temperature-monitored containers with data loggers are standard on this corridor.
• Q: What is the worst-case transit risk? A: Caspian ferry queue at Baku or Aktau during winter storms can add 3–7 days. Build that into delivery-window commitments.
• Q: Can we run a weekly programme on this route? A: Yes for volume FCL — weekly sailings from Alexandria to Poti are available; downstream rail cadence is 5–10 days.

Internal links

• → /logistics/middle-corridor-rail/
• → /logistics/mersin-tir/
• → /products/navel-oranges/
• → /products/dates-medjool/
• → /rfq/

Translation notes

Protect: "Alexandria", "Damietta", "Poti", "Baku", "Aktau", "Angren", "TEU", "FCL", Incoterms.

Content-brief source

• content/transit-route-matrix.md §R2
• content/uzbek-phyto-protocol.md §4