Global
Georgia's Goods Exports Jump 20% to $3.88bn in H1 as Trade Deficit Hits $5.2bn
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Georgia's merchandise exports grew 20% year on year to $3.88 billion in the first half of 2026, while imports were nearly flat, according to GeoStat figures published by the Georgian Business Center on July 20.
Total external trade turnover, excluding undeclared trade, reached $12.93 billion, up 5.8%. Imports rose 0.7% to $9.05 billion, leaving a trade deficit of $5.17 billion, equal to 40% of total turnover.
Who Georgia trades with
Türkiye is the largest partner with $1.66 billion of trade, followed by Russia at $1.53 billion and China at $1.50 billion. The top ten partners account for 66.3% of foreign trade, so the economy is diversified across a wide set of markets but depends on three large neighbours and Asian suppliers.
The export gain is the story. A 20% rise outpaces the 0.7% growth in imports by a wide margin and helps narrow the gap in relative terms, even if the deficit remains large in absolute dollars. CBJ reported separately that domestic exports jumped 64% to $2.85 billion, driven by copper ore, which indicates that mining-linked shipments are a significant part of the improvement. The headline figure here also includes re-exports, which explains why it is larger than the domestic export total.
Macro backdrop
The trade data fit a fast-growing economy. Georgia's GDP expanded 7.8% in the first half, and the Asian Development Bank now projects 6.3% growth for 2026, up from 5.5% in July, according to Caspian Post. Stable imports despite that growth are unusual and may reflect lower energy and goods prices in some categories, although higher fuel costs are lifting inflation, which stood at 5.6% in September.
What it means
For exporters, rising foreign demand and a wider customer base are supportive, especially for metals and agricultural goods. For logistics operators, the growth supports the case for Georgian rail and port investment, including the planned $200 million Anaklia link that Prime Minister Kobakhidze announced on October 9 and argues complements the Middle Corridor.
The risks are concentration and price: a high share of copper ore and re-exports exposes the figures to commodity swings. Investors should watch the nine-month data, due in late October, for confirmation that export momentum survived the summer, and for any change in import growth as domestic demand stays strong.
