What does the 7th route bring?

　　This route was added because China-Georgia economic and trade relations are heating up.

　　The China-Georgia Free Trade Agreement was the first free trade agreement China launched and concluded after the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed. In 2025, bilateral trade between China and Georgia reached USD 2.699 billion, up about 175% from 2017 before the agreement took effect. Rising trade volumes require matching logistics capacity.

　　The opening of the TIR route essentially fills the physical corridor gap after the institutional framework has already “paved the way.” On the one hand, it brings China-Georgia economic and trade exchanges closer; on the other hand, it adds a route option for Shandong goods to enter the Caucasus region and further extend to Türkiye and Europe without relying on a single maritime chokepoint.

Image source: SCO Demonstration Area

　　According to statistics, in 2025, the SCO Demonstration Zone continued to rank first nationwide in TIR shipment volume. In the first three quarters of 2026, the SCO Demonstration Zone dispatched 277 TIR vehicle trips, with total cargo value of RMB 240 million. At the same time, the SCO Demonstration Zone regularly operates 22 international freight train routes, reaching 23 countries and 54 cities of the SCO and Belt and Road partner countries.

　　As the SCO Demonstration Zone's international transport network becomes denser, Shandong is accelerating its transformation into a hub-oriented international logistics distribution center.

　　Shandong's diversified foreign trade corridors