Azerbaijan exported 113,034 mt of mineral fertilizers in the first half of the year, a 26% year-over-year decline, according to an Interfax report, citing the country’s State Statistics Committee. The value of mineral fertilizers in the six-month period also fell to $32 million, a 68% decline from last year.
The State Oil Co. of the Azerbaijan Republic’s (SOCAR) ammonia and urea complex at Sumgayit, some 30 km from the capital of Baku and commissioned in January 2019 (GM Jan. 18, 2019), potentially is a major contributor to the country’s fertilizer export volumes.
The plant has nameplate production capacity of 650,000-660,000 mt/y of granular urea. However, according to Trade Data Monitor, global imports of urea from Azerbaijan totaled only 289,859 mt in 2021. Azerbaijan imports of minerals fertilizers increased 45% in the first half of 2023, totaling 54,842 mt.