Georgia's trade deficit with Russia jumps 1.4-fold in H1 2026

TBILISI. July 21 (Interfax) - Trade turnover between Georgia and Russia rose 19.5% year-on-year to $1.53 billion in H1 2026, Georgia's National Statistics Office posted on its website.

Georgian exports for the first half of the year remained at the same level as last year, totaling $332 million, while imports from Russia increased 26% to $1.2 billion. Georgia's trade deficit with Russia jumped 41.2% to $868 million in the period.

Georgian commodity exports to Russia included wine, which declined 4% to $69.9 million; other alcoholic beverages, which decreased 19.5% to $52.4 million; mineral water, which rose 11% to $46.4 million; and fruit, which declined 3.2% to $27.1 million.

Imports from Russia included oil at $202.2 million versus none the previous year; petroleum products at $269.8 million, down 5.5%; wheat and meslin at $25.4 million, up 27%; and sunflower seeds at $25.4 million, up 27%. Supplies in the hydrocarbon derivatives group jumped 3.1-fold to $26.84 million.

Trade turnover between Georgia and Russia rose 6.3% to $2.69 billion and Georgia's trade deficit with Russia increased 1.7% to $1.19 billion in 2025.