Re-exported motor cars, top export item in the first quarter of 2014

Re-export of motor cars leads the list of the top ten export items from Georgia equaling $152 million USD, or 22 percent of total exports of the year in the first three months of 2014.

Cars are followed by ferroalloys, which totalled $70 million USD (10 percent), the state statistics office Geostat reported. Top export product also includes:

• Wine of fresh grapes - $51 million USD;
• Nitrogen fertilizers – $45.6 million USD;
• Mineral waters – $34.4 million USD;
• Non-denatured ethyl alcohol and spirits – $24 million USD;
• Railway locomotives – $22 million USD;
• Hazelnut – $21.6 million USD;
• Bars and rods of iron and steel –$16.6 million USD.

Trade at a glance

In total Georgia’s foreign trade turnover increased 18 percent year-to-year (y/y) in the reported period to $2.52 billion USD. The trade gap increasing from 11.5 percent y/y to $1.13 billion USD.

Exports increased by 23 percent y/y to $696 million USD in January-March 2014 and imports increased by 16 percent y/y to $1.82 billion USD.

The external trade of Georgia with EU countries amounted to $635 million USD, down 15 percent compared to the same time the previous year.

The external trade of Georgia with CIS countries totaled $893 million USD (24 percent higher compared to January-March 2013). Exports stood at 391 million USD (31 percent higher), while imports equaled 501 million USD (20 percent higher).

Petroleum - top import commodity

The top import commodity was petroleum and petroleum oils, imports of which amounted to $190 million USD and 10 percent of the total imports. Motor cars commodity group followed in the list with $149.7 million USD, or 8 percent of imports. Petroleum gases and other gases came third with $127.9 million USD (7 percent of imports).

The top import products also include:

• Medicines - $63.2 million USD;
• Mobile and other wireless phones – $36 million USD;
• Copper ores and concentrates – $35.3 million USD;
• Wheat – $28.7 million USD;
• Computers – $21.3 million USD;
• Metal construction materials – $19.3 million USD;
• Cigarettes – $18.9 million USD.

Top trading partner countries

In January-March 2014 the share of top ten trading partners in the total external trade turnover of Georgia amounted to 68 percent. The top trading partners were Turkey ($368 million USD), Azerbaijan ($320 million USD) and Russia ($190 million USD).