Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

Georgia has increased import of Azerbaijani gas by 15 percent. Georgia imported 858,520 metric tons of natural gas in oil equivalent worth $176.72 million from Azerbaijan in January-August, a report by the Georgian National Statistics Service's foreign trade said.

Azerbaijan is the main natural gas supplier to Georgia with a specific weight of 83 percent of the country's total import volume in this category. The rest supplies come for Russia and other sources.

Azerbaijan ranks third in the list of countries from which Georgia imports products. Georgia mainly imports gas, oil products, electricity and other products from Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan's export constitutes 7.2 percent of a total volume of goods imported to Georgia.

Georgia has imported natural gas worth $212.8 million since early 2014, the report said.

In annual terms, the Georgian natural gas import from Azerbaijan increased in value terms by 18.2 percent, while in quantitative terms the supplies increased by 110,300 metric tons of oil equivalent, or 14.7 percent.

Last year, Georgia imported 748,240 metric tons of gas in oil equivalent in the amount of $149.56 million from Azerbaijan.

The specific weight of gas in Georgia's total import volume from Azerbaijan amounted to 44.6 percent in the reporting period.

Azerbaijan exports its own gas to Georgia via a pipeline connecting the two countries in the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan. The capacity of gas pumping through this pipeline exceeds 2.5 billion cubic meters per year.

Oil import also increases

Georgia imported 174,610 metric tons of oil and petroleum products worth $158.55 million from Azerbaijan in 2014 so far.

The report said oil and oil products from Azerbaijan in January-August amounted to 26 percent of a total import volume of Georgia in this category of products. Overall, the country has imported oil and oil products in the amount of $611.08 million since early 2014.

In annual terms, the volume of Georgian import of natural gas from Azerbaijan in value terms declined by 0.6 percent. In quantitative terms, supplies increased by 2,200 metric tons in oil equivalent or by 1.3 percent.

Georgia imported 172,400 metric tons of oil and oil products in the amount of $159.5 million from Azerbaijan in January-August last year.

Oil products are produced at two Baku refineries with a total capacity of 16 million metric tons of oil per year. Both plants are owned by SOCAR, which annually processes approximately seven million metric tons of oil extracted onshore and offshore through its own funds.

Other goods import also ups

In the eight months of this year, Georgia imported products worth $396.58 million from Azerbaijan. An import volume from Azerbaijan to Georgia increased by 4.5 percent during the recent months.

The import of Azerbaijani goods worth $379.68 million was recorded during the same period of 2013.

Georgia imports most goods from Turkey. The volume of Georgian import from Turkey amounted to $ 1.1 billion in January-August this year or 20.1 percent of a total import volume. China ranks second with $491.44 million and a share of 8.9 percent of a total volume of Georgia's import.

Import of construction materials from Azerbaijan also increased by 18.8 percent in a year, the report said.

Some 90,731 metric tons of gypsum plaster and other anhydrites worth of $15.542 million was imported by Georgia from Azerbaijan during the mentioned period, which is 12.14 percent more than in the same period of 2013.

By comparison, Georgia imported 76,367 metric tons of construction materials worth of $13.86 million in January-August 2013.

Georgia, for its part, exported 180,751 metric tons of cement, worth of $13.259 million in the same period, which is 1.77 times less than in the same period of 2013. Some 317,638 metric tons of cement worth of $23.442 million was exported from Georgia to Azerbaijan in January-August 2013.

Georgia exported 68,000 metric tons of iron rod worth of $41.996 million to Azerbaijan during the reporting period, compared to 39.556 metric tons of iron rod worth of $24.7 million in the same period of 2013.

The construction material accounted for 3.9 percent of the total volume of Azerbaijan's exports to Georgia during the reporting period.