In the I quarter of 2026, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, the ports and terminals of Georgia received 23.0 percent less liquid bulk, 8.7 percent less – specialized carriers, 8.4 percent less general cargo carriers, 6.1 percent less – container ships, and 5.0 percent less – dry bulk.In the I quarter of 2026, 18.2 percent of the ships arriving at the ports and terminals of Georgia sailed under the flag of Panama, 13.7 percent – under the flag of Turkey, 10.0 percent – under the flag of Liberia, 7.5 percent – under the flag of Malta, and the rest of 50.6 percent were distributed among other countries.In the I quarter of 2026, Georgian seaports served 3.2 thousand passengers, which is 53.6 percen more compared to the corresponding figure of the previous year. Note, the share of passengers departed was higher than the share of passengers entered and stood at 55.3 percent.In the I quarter of 2026, ports and terminals of Georgia processed 4 316.9 thousand tons of cargo, 19.7 percent more compared to the corresponding figure of the previous year. 49.1 percent of freight carried was general cargo, 30.4 percent was liquid bulk, and 20.4 percent – dry bulk.

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In the same period, the prices for manufactured products increased by 0.7 percent, contributing 0.54 percentage points to the monthly index change.Within the group, a noteworthy price increase was registered for chemicals and chemical products (8.4 percent) and coke and refined petroleum products (7.9 percent). Besides, the prices increased for electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning by 1.1 percent, contributing 0.11 percentage points to the monthly index change.The annual PPI rate was mainly affected by price changes for the following products: Mining and quarrying: the prices were 27.6 percent higher, contributing 1.8 percentage points to the overall annual index change. Within the group, the prices were higher for the subgroup of metal ores (34.3 percent); Manufactured products: the prices increased by 5.3 percent, contributing 4.28 percentage points to the overall annual index increase. There was a notable increase in the prices for food products (6.3 percent) and beverages (5.6 percent); Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning: the annual price increase amounted to 3.7 percent, which contributed 0.39 percentage points to the annual index change; Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation services: the annual price increase amounted to 6.8 percent, which contributed 0.21 percentage points to the annual index growth.

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In the I quarter of 2026, scheduled flights carried 93.6 percent of passengers in airports of Georgia.In the I quarter of 2026, the number of passenger flights from Georgian airports increased by 20.8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and amounted to 7.3 thousands.In the I quarter of 2026, in airports of Georgia the volume of freight and mail amounted to 10.3 thousand tons, of which 92.1 percent was arrived freight and post, and 7.9 percent was departured.In the I quarter of 2026, 0.9 thousand freight flights were carried out in the airports of Georgia and that is 6.2 percent more than the same figure of 2025.In the I quarter 2026, airway companies of Georgia transported 190.7 thousand passengers and 30.5 thousand tons of freight. Compared to the corresponding period of the previous year the number of passengers increased by 57.7 percent and freight decreased by 18.1 persent.

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In the I quarter of 2026, incoming freight represented 75.0 percent of the railway-transported freight, while the share of outgoing freight was 25 percent.In the I quarter of 2026, the sender country of 40.6 percent of total incoming rail freight was Russian Federation, 20.8 percent was sent by Azerbaijan. The share of other countries sending cargo was less than ten percent each (38.7 percent combined).In the I quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan was the final destination for 9.8 percent of total outgoing freight, for 8.9 percent it was Armenia, for 8.6 percent – Russian Federation. The share of other individual receiving countries was relatively small (72.7 percent combined).In the I quarter of 2026, the breakdown of the total transit freight1 by the final destination country was as follows: the China – 7.6 percent, Turkey – 7.5 percent, the Netherlands – 4.4 percent, Ukraine – 2.8 percent, Italy – 1.4 percent, Romania – 1.0 percent, and elsewhere was for the rest.In the same period, Brazil was the sender country of 5.3 percent of the total transit freight, Turkey – 3.0 percent and other countries sent the rest. In the reporting period, 33.4 percent of the total freight were coke and refined petroleum products, 23.9 percent were chemicals, chemical products, and man-made fibers; rubber and plastic products, and 12.3 percent were metal ores and other mining and quarrying products.The distribution by type of goods was different in case of freights transported domestically in the I quarter of 2026, as the share of metal ores and other mining and quarrying products equaled 63.2 percent of total, and the share of coke and refined petroleum products amounted to 17.8 percent; while the share of transport equipment amounted to 13.7 percent.As for the freights transported internationally, in the reporting period, incoming goods were mainly coke and refined petroleum products (52.7 percent), other nonmetallic mineral products (12.9 percent), metal ores and other mining and quarrying products (10.5 percent), coal and lignite; crude petroleum and natural gas (6.9 percent), products of agriculture, hunting, and forestry (3.8 percent), chemicals, chemical products, and man-made fibers (3.7 percent) and basic metals (3.6 percent); while outgoing goods were mainly chemicals, chemical products, and man-made fibers (38.5 percent), food products, beverages and tobacco (25.7 percent), basic metals (12.7 percent) and metal ores and other mining and quarrying products (12.6 percent). In the I quarter of 2026, three type of goods, namely chemicals, chemical products, and man-made fibers (34.6 percent), coke and refined petroleum products (31.6 percent) and food products, beverages and tobacco (10.0 percent) constituted for 76.2 percent of the total volume of transit freight.In the I quarter of 2026, the number of passengers transported by the Georgian Railway decreased by 13.5 percent compared to the corresponding period of the previous year and amounted to 301.8 thousand persons. At the same time, passenger turnover decreased by 13.8 percent and amounted to 68.3 million passenger-kilometer.In the I quarter of 2026, the number of passengers transported within the country amounted to 298.0 thousand persons, which represents 98.7 percent of the total number of passengers carried and is 13.8 percent less than the same figure of 2025. At the same time, the number of passengers transported internationally amounted to 3.8 thousand, which is 26.1 percent more than the corresponding figure of the previous year. The country of embarkation was Armenia for 73.1 percent of internationally transported passengers, while the country of disembarkation was Armenia for 26.9 percent (no passengers were transported from/to any other neighboring country in the I quarter of 2026).

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In January-April 2026, the share of the ten largest export partner countries in Georgia's total exports amounted to 72.1%. The top three exporters were as follows: Kyrgyzstan ($272.8 million) China ($255.1 million) Azerbaijan ($211.3 million) In January-April 2026, the share of the ten largest import partner countries in Georgia's total imports amounted to 70.5%. The top three include: Turkey ($903.1 million) Russia ($766.3 million) China ($678.2 million) According to Geostat, in January-April 2026, the share of the ten largest trading partner countries in Georgia's total foreign trade turnover amounted to 66.7%. The country's largest trading partners are: Turkey ($1.09 billion) Russia ($965.7 million) China ($933.3 million) In January-April 2026, among the top ten export commodity groups, passenger cars took first place with $537.4 million, which accounts for 22% of all exports. Second place is taken by oil and petroleum products with $324.1 million (13.3% of all exports), and third place is taken by precious metal ores and concentrates with $225.1 million (9.2%).The largest import commodity group in January-April 2026 was passenger cars, the imports of which amounted to $925.9 million and 16.3% of all imports. Second place is taken by petroleum and petroleum products with $471.3 million (8.3% of imports), and third place is taken by petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons with $254.1 million (4.5% of imports).

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In January-April 2026, the share of the ten largest countries in Georgia's total domestic exports amounted to 69%. In this regard, the largest export partners are:• China - $247.5 million• Russia - $182.7 million• Turkey - $177 millionIn January-April 2026, the top ten domestic exports were represented by oil and petroleum products with $313.2 million, the share of this commodity group is 20.2% of total domestic exports. Precious metal ores and concentrates are in second place with $225.1 million (14.5% of total domestic exports), and ferroalloys are in third place with $94.6 million (6.1% of total domestic exports).

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The decision was made during Irakli Kobakhidze’s official visit to Azerbaijan, where the two countries signed a protocol of the Bilateral Coordination Council, according to which the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway section will be put into full operation. The document was signed by Mariam Kvrivishvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, and Rashad Nabiev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan.New 20-year agreements in the energy sectorIn addition to transport, a package of strategically important agreements in the energy sector was signed between the countries, which includes: Electricity: A 20-year intergovernmental agreement on the main terms of electricity supply and transit traffic between Georgia and Azerbaijan Natural gas: An extension of the gas purchase and sale agreement signed in 2003 for another 20 years, which will ensure the security of the country's social gas supply The aforementioned documents were signed by Mariam Kvrivishvili, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikail Jabbarov, and Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov. The official signing ceremony was attended by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.“The meeting highlighted the positive dynamics of the development of trade and economic ties between the two countries. The Georgian side expressed its readiness to host the next session of the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation in the near future,” the government statement said.The leaders also discussed regional and global geopolitical challenges and once again emphasized the importance of peace and joint projects for the stable development of the South Caucasus.Passenger train traffic between Tbilisi and Baku was suspended in March 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since then, Azerbaijan has repeatedly extended the quarantine regime imposed on its land borders, which has left land and rail traffic with neighboring countries, including Georgia, closed for years.The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was officially opened in October 2017. It is a strategic project that connects the railway networks of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and represents the shortest corridor between Asia and Europe (for transporting goods from China to Europe).Recently, large-scale rehabilitation and expansion works have been underway on the Georgian section of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line (Marabda-Kartsakhi). The aim of the project was to increase the capacity of the line to 5 million tons per year in order to make the corridor more competitive in the face of increased international freight flows. The completion of these works and the restoration of land transport in general were the subject of active negotiations between the parties.

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Of which, the total number of dairy cows and buffaloes equaled 376.2 thousand heads, which is 5.1 percent less than the same indicator of the previous year.The number of pigs equaled to 152.3 thousand heads which is 0.2 percent more than at the same period of the previous year. The number of poultry decreased by 0.5 percent compared to the same period of the previous year and equaled 8.5 million heads.Meat production increased by 2.9 percent from the same period of the previous year and equaled 18 thousand tons.In the I quarter of 2026 egg production amounted to 179.1 million pieces which is 4.1 percent more than in the same period of the previous year. 

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According to the survey, 113.9 thousand heads of livestock were slaughtered in slaughterhouses in the I quarter of 2026, of which 29.5 percent were cattle, 64.0 percent – pigs and 3.4 percent – sheep and goats. The share of other livestock (excluding poultry) slaughtered was 3.1 percent.In addition, the number of poultry slaughtered in slaughterhouses during the reporting period amounted to 2 332.2 thousand.In total 13.5 thousand tons of meet (i.e. slaughtered weight, including poultry meat) was produced by slaughterhouses during the I quarter of 2026, of which 30.1 percent was beef, 28.6 percent – poultry, 40.8 percent – pork, 0.4 percent – mutton and goat meat, while the share of other meet was negligible.The service was provided to 7.8 thousand persons, 53.6 percent of which were households. Average monthly number of persons employed in slaughterhouses equaled 1 027 persons. The average prices of the slaughter services were: 42.9 GEL per cattle, 34.0 GEL per pig, and 13.4 GEL per sheep or goat.In the I quarter of 2026 the number of active cold storage facilities in Georgia was 331 and most of them were located in Shida Kartli region (66.5 percent). Active cold storage facilities were also located in Tbilisi (12.4 percent), Imereti region (5.4 percent), Kvemo Kartli region (4.2 percent), Adjara AR (3.6 percent), Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region (2.4 percent), SamtskheJavakheti region (2.1 percent), Kakheti region (1.8 percent), Mtskheta-Mtianeti region (0.9 percent), Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region (0.3 percent) and Guria region (0.3 percent).In the I quarter of 2026, the service was provided to 355 customers. The number of producers and resellers, from whom the products were purchased, amounted to 826 persons. Average monthly number of persons employed in cold storage facilities was 1 662. In total 97.5 thousand tons of products were stored in cold storage facilities during the I quarter of 2026, of which 20.1 percent was chicken meat (including frozen meat), 31.9 percent – meat and meat products (including semi-finished products, excluding chicken meat), 12.7 percent – fish, 19.5 percent – fruits and vegetables, 10.2 percent – milk products and 5.5 percent – other products.n the I quarter of 2026, the share of own production in the total volume of products stored in cold storage facilities was 17.0 percent, while the share of products purchased for further resale was 25.5 percent and the share of products stored as services was 57.5 percent. The service fee in the same period amounted to 7.3 million GEL. In the I quarter of 2026, the total value of products (28.6 thousand tons) sold by cold storage facilities amounted to 224.6 million GEL, of which the share of imported products was 38.5 percent, share of own production was 12.3 percent and the share of products (local) purchased for resale was 49.2 percent. Herewith, 28.3 percent of own production sold by cold storage facilities was chicken meat. Significant share of imported products was milk products (32.3 percent), meat and meat products (including semi-finished products) (24.3 percent), chicken meat (including frozen) (13.1 percent) and fish (9.0 percent). In the I quarter of 2026, the value of products sold by cold storage facilities on the foreign market amounted to 0.3 million GEL, which constituted to 0.1 percent of the total value of products sold in the same period. Mostly chicken meat were sold on the foreign markets. According to the survey results, the average daily load per storage (out of total storage capacity in percentage) was 51.6 percent in January, 48.5 percent in February and 43.5 percent in MarchThe total number of active elevators in Georgia in the I quarter of 2026 was 31 and most of them were located in Kvemo Kartli (35.5 percent) region, while 16.1 percent of active elevators were located in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, 16.1 percent in Kakheti region, 12.9 percent in Shida Kartli region, 9.7 percent in Tbilisi, 6.5 percent in Imereti region and 3.2 percent in Guria region, - according to the preliminary data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat).Total amount of products sold by the elevators during the I quarter of 2026 amounted to 59.9 thousand tons with total value of 61.0 million GEL. 31.6 percent of this value was imported production and 59.3 percent was local (own produced) products. The biggest share in own production, in terms of volume as well as value, had wheat flour, which constituted to 80.8 percent of total own production sold by the elevators in the same period.According to survey results, average daily load of storages (out of total capacity of storages in percentage) amounted to 50.9 percent in January, 46.7 percent in February and 47.5 percent in March.In the I quarter of 2026, the service was provided to 21 customers. The number of producers and resellers, from whom the product were purchased for resale, was 49 persons, while the average monthly number of persons employed in elevators equaled 439.In total 91 thousand tons of products were stored in elevators during the I quarter of 2026, 65.5 percent of which was wheat and 16.8 percent – soybean meal. The share of products purchased by the elevators for resale in the total amount of products stored in the elevators was 82.9 percent in the same period.According to survey results, average daily load of storages (out of total capacity of storages in percentage) amounted to 50.9 percent in January, 46.7 percent in February and 47.5 percent in March.

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In connection with the planned reform, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Minister of Infrastructure Revaz Sokhadze met with representatives of construction companies and commercial banks. The working meeting was also attended by the heads of the Procurement Agency, the Government Administration and the Samkharauli Expertise Bureau.By decision of the government, amendments will be made to the Technical Regulations approved by Resolution No. 55 and the Law of Georgia “On State Procurement”. As part of the reform, the limit on overheads and unforeseen expenses will be increased, market prices for construction materials and machinery will be updated, and a rule for partial adjustment (indexation) of prices will be introduced.“The reform aims to strengthen the construction sector, increase the financial sustainability of state projects, and establish higher standards of responsibility and transparency in the state procurement system,” the government’s official statement says.In order to support small and medium-sized businesses, the new rules will make it possible to combine the experience of a bidder and its subcontractor in state tenders, which will make it easier for companies to participate in large projects.At the same time, the state is tightening control mechanisms: participation in tenders with unrealistically low prices (dumping) is being restricted, and the so-called “black list” mechanism is being expanded. As a result, companies of individuals involved in financial or corruption crimes will be disqualified from state tenders.The government assesses the aforementioned legislative package as one of the most important systemic reforms of recent times, which should ensure timely and high-quality implementation of infrastructure projects.

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