VIENNA: As per Azerbaijan’s trade, Austria, Czech Republic and Tunis have been declared as its main trade partners. By the end of the first month of the year Top 3 consisted of Italy, France and Germany and Top 5 included Italy, France, Germany, Russia, and Turkey.
The State Customs Committee (SCC) informs that in January the ‘non-aligned’ countries (states out of EU and CIS) kept away from their former status of key trade partners of the country. Those countries formed Azerbaijan’s foreign trade turnover ($1.85 bn) only by 32.7% or $605.49 bn, while the EU countries formed it by 58% ($1.07 bn). Only 9.3% or $172.4 bn accounted for CIS member states.
This January export to the EU countries fell by 16.47% to $882.227 million or 69.84% of total export ($1.277 bn) and import from the EU states grew by 16.25% up to $191.87 million and made up 33.41% of total import ($574 million). As a result, Azerbaijan had positive balance with the EU member countries at the level of $680 million or 96.7% of net surplus of country’s foreign trade ($793 million).
Last month’s export to the non-aligned countries declined by 51.14% to $359.977 million (28.17% of total export) and import by 0.52% to $245.516 million (42.76% of total import). As a result, Azerbaijan received $114 million of positive balance with these countries.
Azerbaijan’s export to the CIS countries totaled only $35.609 million (2.79% of entire export) with a fall of 54.29% and import $136.8 million (28.83%) with a decline of 10.38%. As a result, the country had negative balance of $101 bn.
As of 1 February 2015 Top 5 of key trade partners of Azerbaijan was as follows: Italy with total turnover of $301.679 million (import from Azerbaijan for $263.03 million and export for $38.645 million) held the first place. Then follow France with $209.789 million ($194.108 million and $15.681 million), Germany with $172.35 million ($121.9 million and $50.416 million), Russia with $124.36 million ($27.176 million and $97.187 million) and Turkey with $112.566 million ($25.85 million and $86.77 million respectively).
For the first time Austria has become the sixth trade partner of Azerbaijan with mutual trade turnover of $86.9 million (import from Azerbaijan for $79.628 million and export for $7.3 million). Then follow Spain ($81.605 million, $77.249 million, $4.356 million respectively), Czech Republic ($76.6 million, $74.656 million, $1.986 million), Thailand ($66.4 million, $59.99 million, $6.4 million) and Tunis ($60.002 million, $59.99 million, $9,000).
In 2014 Top 3 composed Italy, Germany and Indonesia and Top 5 – Italy, Germany and Indonesia, Russia and Israel, which got in its December.
By the end of 2013 Top 3 consisted of Italy, Indonesia and Russia and Top 5 – Italy, Indonesia, Russia, Germany and Turkey. In 2012 Top 3 composed Italy, Russia and the USA. In 2011, it included Italy, France and Russia, in 2010 – Italy, Russia and France in 2009 – Italy, the USA and Russia, and in 2008 – Italy, the USA and Israel.