Azerbaijan cuts rice import costs by over 22%

In January–June 2026, Azerbaijan imported 25,608 tons of rice, valued at $22.51 million, Report informs, citing the country's State Customs Committee.

According to the latest data, the imports dropped by 5,084 tons, or 16.5% in volume, and fell by $6.53 million, or 22.4% in value, compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

During the first half of this year, spending on rice imports accounted for 0.2% of Azerbaijan's total import costs.

Overall, Azerbaijan conducted foreign trade operations worth $24.661 billion in the initial six months of 2026, which is 1.1% more than in the same period last year. Of this, $16.320 billion came from exports and $8.341 billion from imports. Year‑on‑year, exports rose by 26.7%, and imports dropped by 27.6%.

As a result, a trade surplus of $7.979 billion was recorded in the first half, which is 5.9 times higher than in the same period last year.