Georgia’s Foreign Trade in January 2019

Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first month of 2019 increased by 1.2%, compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 826.8 million, according to the preliminary figures released by the National Statistics Office, Geostat, on February 19.

Exports from Georgia increased by 7.2% year-on-year to USD 238.8 million, and imports were down by 1.1% y/y to USD 588.0 million in January, with trade gap standing at USD 349.2 million.

Trade turnover with the EU member states stood at USD 199.2 million in January of 2019, which is 6.5% decrease over the same period of last year. Exports from Georgia to the EU-member states decreased by 7.0% y/y to USD 59.7 million, while imports constituted USD 139.5 million, which is 6.4% decrease y/y.

Trade turnover with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) decreased by 2.6% y/y to USD 294.3 million. Georgia’s exports to CIS countries were up by 55.2% y/y to USD 125.4 million and imports decreased by 23.8% to USD 168.9 million.

Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trading partner with USD 112.0 million in January of 2019, followed by Azerbaijan, Russia, China and Romania with USD 97.6 million, USD 88.1 million, USD 77.3 million and USD 45.2 million, respectively.

They are followed by United States with trade turnover of USD 38.3 million; Armenia – USD 37.1 million; Ukraine – USD 36.8 million; Germany – USD 27.9 million; Bulgaria – USD 20.5 million.

Russia tops the list of largest trading partners by exports with USD 39.2 million, followed by Azerbaijan, Romania, Turkey and Armenia with USD 34.5 million, USD 28.1 million, USD 21.3 million and USD 17.3 million, respectively.

Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, Russia and United States are the top trading partners of Georgia in terms of imports with USD 90.7 million, USD 74.4 million, USD 63.2 million, USD 48.9 million and USD 31.8 million, respectively.

Copper ores and concentrates reclaimed the first place in the list of export commodities in the first month of 2019 with USD 42.5 million, followed by re-export of cars – USD 26.2 million; ferroalloys – USD 18.2 million; wine – USD 15.8 million; cigarettes – USD 15.8 million; medicines – USD 12.7 million; nitrogen fertilizers – USD 8.9 million; mineral waters – USD 7.8 million; spirits – USD 6.6 million; gold – USD 6.3 million; other commodities – USD 78.0 million.

Petroleum and petroleum oils are still on top of the list of import commodities with USD 46.1 million, followed by petroleum gases – USD 43.7 million; cars – USD 33.5 million; copper ores and concentrates – USD 32.8 million; medicines – USD 16.4 million; mobile and other wireless phones – USD 13.5 million; cigarettes – USD 11.7 million; electricity – USD 9.0 million; steam turbines – USD 8.3 million; tires – USD 8.2 million; other commodities – USD 364.7 million.

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