BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 17. Legal entities and individuals in the Republic of Azerbaijan conducted trade operations with partners from a total of 176 countries globally from January through November 2024, exporting goods to 120 countries and importing from 167 countries.
The data obtained by Trend from the State Statistical Committee indicates that including the estimated statistical value of exported crude oil and natural gas, which were registered by customs authorities but whose customs clearance had not yet been fully completed.
The country’s foreign trade turnover for this period was $42.8 billion, with exports valued at $24.04 billion (56.2 percent) and imports at $18.77 billion (43.8 percent), resulting in a positive balance of $5.27 billion. Compared to the same period in 2023, the foreign trade turnover increased by 1.1 percent in actual prices and 3.1 percent in real terms, while exports decreased by 5.4 percent and imports grew by 0.6 percent.
Non-oil and gas product exports amounted to $3.09 billion, marking a 1.9 percent increase in actual prices, though a decline of 11 percent in real terms compared to 2023.
Data from the State Customs Committee reveals the distribution of Azerbaijan’s foreign trade turnover. Italy accounted for 23.9 percent, Türkiye for 13 percent, Russia for 10.2 percent, and China for 7.9 percent. The United States, Germany, Australia, the Czech Republic, and India followed with respective shares of 3.5 percent, 3.3 percent, 2.8 percent, 2.4 percent, and 2.2 percent. Other countries such as Croatia, Israel, and Georgia contributed 2 percent, 1.8 percent, and 1.7 percent, while 12.9 percent of the trade came from additional partners.
As for the country’s exports, Italy led with 40.4 percent, followed by Türkiye at 14.4 percent and Russia at 4.5 percent. Other key destinations included the Czech Republic (4 percent), Croatia (3.6 percent), and India and Israel (3 percent each). Smaller shares went to Germany, Portugal, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Greece, with 5.6 percent of exports going to other nations.
In the value of non-oil and gas exports, Russia led with 34.6 percent, followed by Türkiye (16.4 percent), Georgia (8.2 percent), Switzerland (6.3 percent), and the United States (4.2 percent). Kazakhstan (3.8 percent), Ukraine (3.4 percent), and Turkmenistan (2.4 percent) were also major recipients, with other countries such as Oman (2.1 percent), the United Arab Emirates (1.6 percent), Germany (1.5 percent), Belarus (1.4 percent), Italy (1.3 percent), the Netherlands (1.3 percent), Uzbekistan (1.2 percent), and Romania (1.1 percent) contributing smaller shares.
Regarding imports, China accounted for 18 percent, Russia for 17.6 percent, and Türkiye for 11.2 percent. The United States, Australia, and Germany each made up 7.3 percent, 6.4 percent, and 4 percent, respectively, while Iran accounted for 3 percent, followed by Italy at 2.5 percent, Belarus at 2.2 percent, and Japan at 2 percent. Other notable contributors included South Korea (1.9 percent), Kazakhstan (1.6 percent), Turkmenistan (1.5 percent), and Ukraine (1.4 percent). The United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, and India each made up 1.3 percent, 1.2 percent, 1.1 percent, and 1.1 percent, respectively. Imports from Uzbekistan were 1 percent, while Brazil and Canada each accounted for 0.9 percent. The remaining 11.9 percent came from other countries.
Azerbaijan’s exports from January to November 2024 saw significant changes across various product categories compared to the same period in the previous year. Fresh vegetable exports rose by 1.9 percent, while sugar exports surged by 62.3 percent. Tobacco exports increased by 3.1 times, canned fruits and vegetables grew by 14.3 percent, and vegetable oils saw a remarkable rise of 72.1 percent. Other food products, such as margarine and food mixtures, increased by 63 percent, and tea exports grew by 4.5 percent. Cotton fiber exports experienced a notable rise of 81.7 percent, while mineral fertilizers increased by 68.6 percent. Cotton yarn exports rose slightly by 0.8 percent, and bentonite clay exports grew by 34.3 percent.
However, the export of fresh fruits decreased by 2 percent, potatoes by 32 percent, fruit and vegetable juices by 6.9 percent, and natural grape wines and grape must by 41.9 percent. Polypropylene exports dropped by 24 percent, polyethylene by 18.3 percent, and electricity exports plummeted by 55.5 percent. Other notable declines included unprocessed aluminum (down 16.6 percent), cement clinker (down 2.3 percent), ferrous metal rods (down 4.1 percent), and ferrous metal pipes (down 8.9 percent).
The country’s wheat imports from January through November 2024 grew by 2 percent compared to the previous year. Fresh fruit imports saw a sharp increase of 23.6 percent, while butter, other milk fats, and pastes surged by 77 percent. Vegetable oil imports rose by 15.3 percent, raw sugar by 4.2 percent, and flour confectionery by 11 percent. Chocolate and chocolate products increased by 10.7 percent, while tea imports went up by 3.3 percent. Imports of poultry and by-products jumped by 39.6 percent, beef by 55.3 percent, and fresh vegetables by 58.4 percent. Imports of computers, blocks, and devices grew by 23.4 percent; trucks by 18.3 percent; and furniture by 40.5 percent. Synthetic detergents rose by 9.3 percent, while ferrous metal rods soared by 66.4 percent, and household air conditioners saw a rise of 44.1 percent. Mineral fertilizer imports increased by 18.7 percent, and bus imports more than tripled. Washing machines increased by 2.1 percent, polypropylene by 22.8 percent, and cement by 0.3 percent. However, imports of potatoes decreased by 19.9 percent, cigarettes by 75.3 percent, passenger cars by 9.1 percent, medicines by 25.8 percent, rolled steel by 6.5 percent, ferrous metal pipes by 10.3 percent, rubber tires by 5.8 percent, polyethylene by 12.9 percent, ferrous metal angles by 13 percent, and household refrigerators by 4.2 percent.