Azerbaijan boosts tea exports, cuts imports

Azerbaijan exported 204.1 tons of tea worth $1.757 million during the first quarter of 2026, Report informs, citing the country's State Customs Committee.

According to the latest data, the exports rose by 31.4 tons or 18.2% in volume and $229,960 or 15% in value compared to the same period last year.

Revenue from tea exports accounted for only a small share of Azerbaijan's overall export earnings.

In January-March 2026, Azerbaijan imported 3,158 tons of tea valued at $20.378 million, marking a year-on-year decrease of 975.6 tons, or 23.6% in volume and $5.029 million, or 19.8% in value. Tea imports made up 0.5% of the country's total import costs.

Overall, Azerbaijan conducted foreign trade operations worth $9.407 billion in the initial three months of 2026, which is 21.9% less than in the same period last year. Of this, $5.402 billion came from exports and $4.005 billion from imports. Year‑on‑year, exports declined by 15.4% and imports by 29.3%.

As a result, a trade surplus of $1.398 billion was recorded in the first quarter, which is 93.4% higher compared to the corresponding period last year.