BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 20. Azerbaijan’s revenue from petroleum bitumen exports in the period from January through June has been announced.
According to Trend’s calculations based on data from Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee, 8,109 metric tons of petroleum bitumen worth $2.3 million were exported from Azerbaijan in the first half of 2026.
In value terms, this figure is $1.34 million, or 2.3 times higher than the same period in 2025, and in volume, it is 4,277 metric tons, or 2.1 times higher.
Over the reporting period, petroleum bitumen exports accounted for 0.01% of Azerbaijan’s total exports.
According to the Customs Committee, 10.125 million metric tons of crude oil and petroleum products derived from bituminous rocks were exported from Azerbaijan to other countries in the period from January through June, totaling $6.2 billion.
The agency reports that, compared to the same period in 2025, this represents a decrease of $178 million, or 2.8%, in value, while in volume terms, the figure decreased by 1.921 million metric tons, or 15.9%.
The Customs Committee reports that Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover for January through June of this year totaled $24.6 billion.
The agency estimates that this represents an increase of $261 million, or 1.1%, compared to the same period last year.
In addition, it is noted that of the total foreign trade volume, $16.32 billion was accounted for by exports, and $8.3 billion by imports.
According to the agency, from January through June of this year, exports increased by $3.4 billion (26.7%), while imports decreased by $3.181 billion (27.6%).
Consequently, a trade surplus of $7.9 billion was recorded. According to the agency’s calculations, this is 5.9 times (or $6.6 billion) higher than the figure for the same period last year.
According to Trend's analysis, the sharp increase in Azerbaijan's petroleum bitumen export revenues reflects stronger external demand and the country's ability to generate higher value from refined petroleum products. The more than twofold rise in both export volume and value suggests improving market opportunities for Azerbaijan's downstream oil industry. This positive performance comes alongside a significant increase in the country's overall exports and a substantial expansion of its foreign trade surplus, underscoring the resilience of Azerbaijan's external trade despite fluctuations in crude oil exports. Rising exports of petroleum products with higher added value support the country's efforts to diversify its hydrocarbon export portfolio and strengthen industrial production. If this trend continues, it could further enhance export revenues, reinforce Azerbaijan's trade balance, and contribute to sustainable economic growth.
