Georgia’s foreign trade turnover in the first eight months of 2019 increased by 0.01%, compared to the same period last year, amounting to USD 8.1 billion, according to the preliminary figures released by the National Statistics Office, Geostat, on September 19.
Exports from Georgia were up by 12.4% year-on-year to USD 2.4 billion, and imports were down by 4.4% y/y to USD 5.7 billion in January-August. The trade gap stood at USD 3.3 billion.
Trade turnover with the European Union (EU) member states stood at USD 2.1 billion, which is a 3.7% decrease over the same period of last year. Exports from Georgia to the EU-member states increased by 25.3% y/y to USD 571.1 million, while imports constituted USD 1.5 billion, which is 11.6% lower than last year.
Trade turnover with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) decreased by 0.3% y/y to USD 2.8 billion. Georgia’s exports to CIS countries were up by 24.2% y/y to USD 1.3 billion, and imports decreased by 14.7% to USD 1.5 billion.
Turkey remains Georgia’s largest trading partner with USD 1.1 billion in January-August of 2019, followed by Russia, Azerbaijan, China and Ukraine with USD 903.9 million, USD 682.5 million, USD 670.5 million and USD 417.3 million, respectively.
They are followed by Armenia with trade turnover of USD 390.4 million; United States – USD 331.3 million; Germany – USD 318 million; Romania – USD 279.1 million, and Bulgaria – USD 273.2 million.
Russia tops the list of largest trading partners by exports with USD 338.7 million, followed by Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria and Ukraine with USD 315 million, USD 217.4 million, USD 190.8 million and USD 166 million, respectively.
Turkey, China, Russia Azerbaijan and Germany are the top trading partners of Georgia in terms of imports with USD 993.8 million, USD 574.2 million, USD 565.2 million, USD 367.6 million and USD 286.1 million, respectively.
Copper ores and concentrates are on top of the list of export commodities with USD 430.6 million, followed by re-export of cars – USD 381.5 million; ferroalloys – USD 207.1 million; medicines – USD 136.5 million; wine – USD 133.5 million; mineral waters – USD 88.5 million; spirits – USD 70.3 million; nitrogen fertilizers – USD 59.9 million; gold – USD 45.6 million; cigarettes – USD 43.9 million; other commodities – USD 814.8 million.
Petroleum and petroleum oils are on top of the list of import commodities in Georgia’s foreign trade with USD 474 million, followed by cars – USD 423.8 million; copper ores and concentrates – USD 375.4 million; medicines – USD 334.9 million; petroleum gases – USD 202.3 million; mobile phones – USD 116.1 million; wheat – USD 60.7 million; cigarettes – USD 57.6 million; new tires – USD 57.6 million; bulldozers – USD 49.5 million; other commodities – USD 3.7 billion.
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