Georgia’s external merchandise trade, excluding non-declared trade, reached USD 17,926 billion in January-August 2026, up 8.4% year-on-year, according to preliminary data released by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat) on September 21. Kyrgyzstan remained Georgia’s largest export market, while Turkey was its top import partner, as exports to Iran and Togo saw major spikes.
Exports increased by 22.1% year-on-year to USD 5.423 billion, while imports rose by 3.4% to USD 12.504 billion. The trade deficit stood at USD 7.082 billion, accounting for 39.5% of total external trade turnover.
Kyrgyzstan remained Georgia’s leading export destination, with exports totaling USD 577.6 million, followed by China at USD 543.7 million and Russia at USD 500.6 million. The top ten export destinations accounted for 68.8% of Georgia’s total exports.
Motor cars remained the country’s largest export commodity, totaling USD 1.347 billion and accounting for 24.9% of total exports. Petroleum and petroleum oils ranked second at USD 688.9 million (12.7%), followed by precious metal ores and concentrates at USD 403.1 million (7.4%).
Particularly sharp increases in exports were recorded to Iran and Togo.
Exports to Iran increased by 746.8% during the reporting period, reaching USD 162 million, or 3% of all Georgian exports, compared to 0.4% in the same period last year. The official data show that motor cars dominated exports to Iran, with a total value of USD 129 million (7,360 units), compared to around USD 280,000 (10 units) in the first eight months of 2025. They were followed by ferroalloys, worth USD 18 million (13,413 tons), compared to around USD 281,000 in the same period in 2025.
Exports to Togo increased by 169,282%, reaching USD 137 million, or 2.5% of all exports, compared to a share of nearly zero in January-August 2025. Nearly all exports were petroleum and petroleum oils.
Exports to China also rose significantly, increasing by 177.3% year-on-year to USD 544 million, making China Georgia’s second-largest export destination with a 10% share in January-August.
Turkey remained Georgia’s largest import partner, with imports totaling USD 1.918 billion, followed by Russia at USD 1.531 billion and the United States at USD 1.510 billion. The top ten import partners accounted for 70.2% of total imports.
Motor cars also topped the list of imported commodities at USD 2.364 billion, accounting for 18.9% of total imports. Petroleum and petroleum oils followed at USD 1.165 billion (9.3%), while medicaments put up in measured doses ranked third at USD 468.4 million (3.7%).
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