Azerbaijan's Trade Surplus Widens Nearly Sixfold to $8 Billion in First Half

Azerbaijan closed the first half of 2026 with a foreign trade surplus of $7.979 billion — a 5.9-fold expansion compared with the same period last year, according to State Customs Committee data reported by APA-Economics.

Total trade turnover reached $24.661 billion between January and June, up a restrained 1.07% year-on-year. The surplus story is therefore not one of booming trade overall: exports of $16.320 billion stood against imports of $8.341 billion, meaning the widening gap came from stronger export receipts against contained import spending.

The export side draws on both familiar and newer sources. Oil shipments contributed $6.2 billion in the half, but the faster-moving line is non-oil exports, up 16.9% to $1.8 billion — consistent with the non-oil momentum visible in the half-year GDP data.

A surplus of this scale has macroeconomic consequences beyond bragging rights. It supports the manat, feeds transfers to the state oil fund, and gives the government headroom for the infrastructure commitments accumulating across the region — from grid interconnections to the Caspian–Europe green energy corridor now moving into implementation.

The second half will test durability. Import demand typically firms in the final quarters, and oil price movements cut both ways for a producer that now counts on non-oil lines for its growth. But as a half-year statement of external strength, the customs ledger is unambiguous.