Georgia has sharply increased its exports of oil and petroleum products, turning them into the second most important category of local supplies abroad. According to Sakstat, in January–February 2026, the country sent more than 219 thousand tons of products to foreign markets worth $93.2 million. At the same time, almost the entire volume — 94.4% — comes from locally produced products, despite the lack of its own large-scale production.
The rapid growth is due to the launch of an oil refinery in Kulevi at the end of 2025. Already in the first months of 2026, exports jumped by 2175%, reaching $88 million and occupying 13.3% in the supply structure, second only to ores and concentrates of precious metals.
Turkey is the leader among key buyers, but an unexpected destination was West African Togo, which accounted for about a fifth of exports. Malta, Singapore, and the UAE are also on the list. The refinery project is estimated at $600 million, and its capacity in the first stage will be up to 1.2 million tons of oil per year with the prospect of expansion. The EU has already discussed possible restrictions due to the object's role in the transportation of Russian oil, but it was not included in the final sanctions package.