Georgia’s external trade up 22% in Jan-Nov:
Canada, Turkey and Russia – top trading partners

Georgia’s external trade has grown 22 percent in the first 11 months of the year to reach $10.83 billion, shows latest preliminary data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).

Between January and November 2016 the value of Georgia’s exports dropped five percent to $1.92 billion, while the value of imports increased 29 percent to $8.91 billion, said Geostat.

Georgia’s trade deficit equalled $6.99 billion in the first 11 months of 2016, which was a 65 percent share of the country's total trade turnover, showed the latest data by Geostat.

Trade deficit is an economic measure of a negative balance of trade in which a country's imports exceeds its exports.

Imports excluding Hepatitis C medicine were worth $6.51 billion - one percent less compared to the same period of 2015.

What's Georgia's main exports?

Georgia's top exported items in January-November were:

• Copper ores and concentrates (worth $285 million or 15 percent of total exports)
• Nuts (worth $168 million or nine percent of total exports)
• Ferro-alloys (worth $154 million or eight percent of total exports)

What is Georgia's main imports?

Georgia's top imported items were:

• Medicines (worth $2.64 billion or 30 percent of total imports)
• Petroleum and petroleum oils (worth $529 million or six percent of total imports)
• Motor cars (worth $414 million or five percent of total imports)

From the medicine imports, $2.39 billion of medicine was specifically Hepatitis C treatment for the country's Hepatitis C Elimination Program.

Georgia’s top trading partners in January-November 2016

Georgia’s top 10 trading partners in the first 11 months of 2016 made up 68 percent of Georgia’s total trade turnover, said the statistics agency.

In January-November, Georgia’s top three trading partners were:

• Canada ($1.83 billion)
• Turkey ($1.40 billion)
• Russia ($781 million)

Trade with EU countries

In the first 11 months of 2016 the external trade turnover of Georgia with European Union (EU) countries increased by 11 percent y/y and amounted to $3.08 billion.

Exports were worth $513 million (14 percent lower), while imports reached $2.57 billion (17 percent higher).

Trade with CIS countries

In January-November 2016 the external trade turnover of Georgia with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries totalled $2.42 million – a four percent reduction y/y.

Exports were worth $659 million (14 percent lower) while imports equalled $1.76 billion (one percent higher).