Georgia’s Foreign Trade in January-July 2019

Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first seven months of 2019 decreased by 0.2%, compared to the same period of 2018, amounting to USD 7.07 billion, according to the preliminary figures released by the National Statistics Office, Geostat, on August 19.

General data on Georgia’s external trade in January-July 2014-2019. Source: Geostat

Exports from Georgia were up by 12.4% year-on-year to USD 2.1 billion, and imports were down by 4.7% y/y to USD 4.96 billion in January-July. The trade gap stood at USD 2.86 billion.

Trade turnover with the European Union (EU) member states stood at USD 1.8 billion, which is a 5.2% decrease over the same period of last year. Exports from Georgia to the EU-member states increased by 20.6% y/y to USD 503.5 million, while imports constituted USD 1.3 billion, which is 12.6% lower than last year.

Georgian export and import by country groups in January-July 2019. Source: Geostat

Trade turnover with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) increased by 0.7% y/y to USD 2.4 billion. Georgia’s exports to CIS countries were up by 26.6% y/y to USD 1.1 billion, and imports decreased by 14.3% to USD 1.3 billion.

Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trading partner with USD 999.6 million in January-July of 2019, followed by Russia, Azerbaijan, China and Ukraine with USD 790.2 million, USD 600.6 million, USD 567.9 million and USD 362 million, respectively.

They are followed by Armenia with trade turnover of USD 334.8 million; United States – USD 302 million; Germany – USD 277.6 million; Romania – USD 242.4 million and Bulgaria – USD 238.2 million.

Russia tops the list of largest trading partners by exports with USD 303.8 million, followed by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria and Ukraine with USD 266.2 million, USD 181.2 million, USD 166.2 million and USD 148.6 million, respectively.

Turkey, China, Russia, Azerbaijan and Germany are the top trading partners of Georgia in terms of imports with USD 864.5 million, USD 501.4 million, USD 486.3 million, USD 334.4 million and USD 248.6 million, respectively.

Top trading partners of Georgia in January-July 2019. Source: Geostat

Copper ores and concentrates are on top of the list of export commodities with USD 364.9 million, followed by re-export of cars – USD 317.3 million; ferroalloys – USD 195.7 million; medicines – USD 125 million; wine – USD 113.7 million; mineral waters – USD 77.2 million; spirits – USD 59.9 million; nitrogen fertilizers – USD 57.6 million; gold – USD 39.3 million; cigarettes – USD 38.3 million; other commodities – USD 713.4 million.

Petroleum and petroleum oils are on top of the list of import commodities in Georgia’s foreign trade with USD 404.4 million, followed by cars – USD 366.9 million; copper ores and concentrates – USD 330.1 million; medicines – USD 210.6 million; petroleum gases – USD 189.8 million; mobile and other wireless phones – USD 98.6 million; wheat – USD 50.5 million; tires – USD 49.6 million; cigarettes – USD 46.6 million; bulldozers – USD 42.7 million; other commodities – USD 3.2 billion.

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