In January 2026, Georgia exported 145,000 tons of petroleum products worth $56 million, which is 33 times higher than the figure for January 2025. This sharp increase is due to the launch of a new oil refinery in Kulevi, where local oil processing has begun.
The main buyers of Georgian petroleum products were Turkey — 63.5 thousand tons for $24.3 million, Malta — 30.2 thousand tons for $16.2 million, Singapore — 37.9 thousand tons for $11.9 million, as well as Cyprus and Armenia.
The increase in exports is accompanied by an increase in crude oil imports for processing: in January 2026, 39.9 thousand tons were received for $15.2 million, while in 2025 imports amounted to 225.3 thousand tons for $96.6 million, mainly from Russia. The new capacity of the oil refinery in Kulevi makes Georgia a noticeable player in the regional petroleum product market.