Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first two months of 2019 increased by 3.6%, compared to the same period last year, reaching USD 1.7 billion, according to the preliminary figures released by the National Statistics Office, Geostat, on March 19.
Exports from Georgia increased by 13.2% year-on-year to USD 505 million, and imports were up by 0.1% y/y to USD 1.2 billion in January-February, with trade gap standing at USD 729.8 million.
Trade turnover with the European Union (EU) member states stood at USD 422.4 million, which is a 6.3% decrease over the same period of last year. Exports from Georgia to the EU-member states decreased by 10.7% y/y to USD 118.2 million, while imports constituted USD 304.2 million, which is 4.5% lower than last year.
Trade turnover with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) increased by 2.8% y/y to USD 627.7 million. Georgia’s exports to CIS countries were up by 45.7% y/y to USD 254.8 million and imports decreased by 14.4% to USD 372.9 million.
Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trading partner with USD 233.6 million in January-February of 2019, followed by Russia, Azerbaijan, China and Armenia with USD 203.6 million, USD 184.4 million, USD 163.4 million and USD 86.7 million, respectively.
They are followed by Ukraine with trade turnover of USD 81.7 million; United States – USD 81.1 USD million; Germany – USD 65.5 million; Romania – USD 61.1 million; Bulgaria – USD 52.5 million.
Russia tops the list of largest trading partners by exports with USD 81.3 million, followed by Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine and Armenia with USD 58.4 million, USD 39.6 million, USD 38.8 million and USD 37.9 million, respectively.
Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, Russia and United States are the top trading partners of Georgia in terms of imports with USD 194 million, USD 142 million, USD 126 million, USD 122.3 million and USD 61.6 million, respectively.
Copper ores and concentrates reclaimed the first place in the list of export commodities in the first two months of 2019 with USD 78.3 million, followed by re-export of cars – USD 56.1 million; ferroalloys – USD 51.2 million; wine – USD 33.5 million; medicines – USD 28.5 million; nitrogen fertilizers – USD 23.7 million; spirits – USD 18.4 million; mineral waters – USD 17.9 million; cigarettes – USD 17.6 million; gold – USD 11 million; other commodities – USD 168.8 million.
Petroleum and petroleum oils are still on top of the list of import commodities with USD 101.2 million, followed by petroleum gases – USD 88.7 million; copper ores and concentrates – USD 71.9 million; cars – USD 67.5 million; medicines – USD 56.3 million; mobile and other wireless phones – USD 23.9 million; wheat – USD 15.6 million; electricity – USD 15.5 million; tires – USD 14.2 million; cigarettes – USD 13.5 million; other commodities – USD 766.4 million.
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)