BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 19. Azerbaijan's food imports increased by 3.4 percent ($31.39 million) in value terms and amounted to $953.36 million from January through May 2024, Trend reports.
Data from the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan showed that during the reporting period, the country imported 22,170 tons of meat (up 23.25 percent) worth $48.45 million (up 46.12 percent), 5,580 tons of milk (up 11.94 percent) worth $8.6 million (down 19.47 percent), 10,390 tons of dairy products (up 38.88 percent) - $54 million (up 31.11 percent), 211,860 tons of vegetables and fruits (up 17.74 percent) - $144.27 million (up 27.29 percent), and 5,120 tons of tea (down 20.2 percent) - $25.69 million (down 10.56 percent).
Azerbaijan also imported more than 418,740 tons of wheat, corn, and rice worth more than $124.75 million.
Imports of vegetable fats and oils amounted to 70,660 tons worth more than $83.6 million.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's foreign trade turnover from January through May 2024 decreased by 19.67 percent, or $4.5 billion, compared to the indicator for the same period in 2023 (from $22.9 billion to $18.4 billion).
Exports accounted for $11.1 billion in the structure of foreign trade turnover, which is $4.9 billion, or 30.88 percent less than the figure for the same period last year. The share of exports in the foreign trade turnover amounted to 60.41 percent, compared to 70.21 percent a year earlier.
Azerbaijan's imports in the reporting period increased year-on-year by $461.9 million, or 6.75 percent, from $6.8 billion to about $7.3 billion. The share of imports in the foreign trade turnover amounted to 39.59 percent, compared to 29.79 percent a year earlier.
Consequently, the foreign trade balance, while remaining positive during the period under review, declined year-on-year by over $5.4 billion, or 58.62 percent, to $3.8 billion from $9.2 billion in the 2023 reporting period.