BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 22. The value of food products imported by Azerbaijan decreased by 8.59 percent ($202.98 million) to $2.16 billion from in 2023, Trend reports, referring to the State Customs Committee.
According to the committee's 2023 data, Azerbaijan imported 41.707 tons of meat (a 6.43 percent decline), valued $86.7 million (a 2.94 percent rise), and 12,661 tons of milk (a 25.51 percent increase), worth $23.9 million (a 26.12 percent increase).
The country also imported 16,596 tons of dairy products (down 10.59 percent) worth $92.4 million (down 14.57 percent), 352 tons of vegetables and fruit (down 6.67 percent) worth $229.9 million (down 2.57 percent), and 13,7 tons of tea (down 5.07 percent) worth more than $70.6 million (down 6.51 percent).
In addition, Azerbaijan also imported more than 1.3 million tons of wheat, corn, and rice worth over $374.9 million.
The import of vegetable fats and oils amounted to 147,3 tons, worth more than $183.7 million.
Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover decreased by 2.85 percent, or $1.5 billion (from $52.7 billion to $51.2 billion) at the end of 2023.
Azerbaijan's imports in 2023 grew by $2.75 billion or 18.88 percent year-on-year from $14.5 billion to about $17.3 billion. The share of imports in the foreign trade turnover amounted to 33.77 percent against 27.6 percent a year earlier.
As a result, the foreign trade balance, while remaining positive during the period under review, declined year-on-year by over $6.99 billion or 29.63 percent to $16.6 billion from $23.6 billion in 2022.