Georgia’s Foreign Trade in Jan-Nov 2018

Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first eleven months of 2018 increased by 18.6%, compared to the same period of last year, reaching USD 11.32 billion, according to the preliminary figures released by the State Statistics Office (Geostat) on December 19.

Exports from Georgia increased by 24% year-on-year to USD 3.03 billion and imports were up by 16.8% y/y to USD 8.29 billion, with trade gap standing at USD 5.25 billion.

Trade turnover with the EU member states stood at USD 3.0 billion in January-November of 2018, which is 16.9% increase over the same period of last year. Exports from Georgia to the EU-member states increased by 12% y/y to USD 658.9 million, while imports constituted USD 2.4 billion, which is 18.4% increase y/y.

Trade turnover with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) increased by 27.3% y/y to USD 3.9 billion. Georgia’s exports to CIS countries were up by 44% y/y to USD 1.5 billion and imports increased by 18.9% to USD 2.5 billion.

Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trading partner with USD 1.6 billion in January-November of 2018, again followed by Russia, China and Azerbaijan with USD 1.3 billion, USD 967 million and USD 942.9 million, respectively.

They are followed by Ukraine with trade turnover of USD 619.9 million; Armenia – USD 580.7 million; United States – USD 468.5 million; Germany – USD 431.4 million; Bulgaria – USD 408.8 million; France – USD 259.3 million.

Azerbaijan tops the list of largest trading partners by exports with USD 435.8 million, followed by Russia, Armenia and Bulgaria with USD 393.6 million, USD 260 million and USD 242.8 million, respectively.

Turkey, Russia, China and Azerbaijan are the top trading partners of Georgia in terms of imports with USD 1.3 billion, USD 861.2 million, USD 776.9 million and USD 507 million, respectively.

Copper ores and concentrates reclaimed the first place in the list of export commodities with USD 461.4 million (15.2% of total exports), followed by re-export of cars – USD 356.6 million (11.8% of total exports); ferroalloys – USD 318.8 million (10.5% of total exports); wine – USD 178.9 million (5.9% of total exports); cigarettes – USD 133.3 million (4.4% of total exports); medicines – USD 131.4 million (4.3% of total exports); spirits – USD 119.3 million (3.9% of total exports); mineral waters – USD 100.2 million (3.3% of total exports); nitrogen fertilizers – USD 85.7 million (2.8% of total exports); gold – USD 65.6 million (2.2% of total exports); other commodities – USD 1.1 billion (35.7% of total exports).

Petroleum and petroleum oils are still on top of the list of import commodities with USD 794.4 million (9.6% of total imports), followed by cars – USD 533.1 million (6.4% of total imports); copper ores and concentrates – USD 378.7 million (4.6% of total imports); medicines – USD 300 million (3.6% of total imports); petroleum gases – USD 247.2 million (3% of total imports); mobile and other wireless phones – USD 174.6 million (2.1% of total imports); cigarettes – USD 165.4 million (2% of total imports); automatic data processing machines – USD 122.8 million (1.5% of total imports); wheat – USD 107.4 million (1.3% of total imports); gas turbines – USD 82.8 million (1% of total imports); other commodities – USD 5.4 billion (64.9% of total imports).

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