BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 24. Azerbaijani food imports from January through March 2023 increased in value terms by 18.95 percent, or $92.8 million, to $583 million, Trend reports with reference to the bulletin of the State Customs Committee (SCC) of Azerbaijan.
According to the SCC, in the reporting period of 2023, Azerbaijan imported 11,360 tons of meat worth $19.2 million, 2,870 tons of milk worth $6.3 million, 4,510 tons of dairy products valued at $25.5 million, 128,280 tons of vegetables and fruits costing $83.1 million, as well as 3,340 tons of tea worth more $17.7 million.
In addition, Azerbaijan imported more than 356,140 tons of wheat, corn, barley and rice worth over $108.7 million, while the import of vegetable fats and oils amounted to 29,140 tons worth more than $41.8 million.
At the same time, the country during the reporting period increased the import of tobacco and its products by 77.01 percent up to $26.2 million year-on-year.
Imports of pharmaceutical industry products grew in quantitative terms by 16.24 percent, or by more than 1,210 tons, increasing up to 8,660 tons compared to the same period in 2022, while in value terms - by 60.71 percent, or $72.5 million, growing up to $192 million.
Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover in the first three months of 2023 increased by 7.91 percent, or $863.1 million compared to the same period in 2022, increasing from $10.9 billion to $11.7 billion.
According to the data, in the structure of foreign trade turnover, exports totaled $7.7 billion, which is $239.5 million, or 3 percent less than the same period of the previous year. The share of exports in foreign trade turnover amounted to 65.77 percent against 73.17 percent a year earlier.
Furthermore, the country's imports in the specified period rose by $1.1 billion, or 37.67 percent - from $2.9 billion to about $4 billion. The share of imports in foreign trade turnover reached 34.23 percent against 26.83 percent a year earlier.
As a result, from January through March of this year, the balance of foreign trade turnover, remaining positive, decreased year-on-year by more than $1.34 billion, or by 26.56 percent - to $3.7 billion against $5 billion in the first three months of the preceding year.