Аzerbaijan Tea Imports Surge by 14%, Revival Efforts of Local Production Fall Short

Azerbaijan’s State Agency for Tourism has inspected more than 300 hotels and lodging establishments across Baku, Sumgait, and the Absheron district as part of its preparations to accommodate international visitors attending the upcoming COP29 climate summit. Approximately 220 of these locations have now received an official star rating, with 10 hotels designated as five-star, 20 as four-star, and the remainder across other star ratings.

For several months now, there have reportedly been delays in the disbursement of pensions and social payments in Azerbaijan. Pensioners say that the delays range from three to five days. For example, they emphasize that while disability pensions used to be paid by the 15th of each month earlier in the year, for the past three months, payments have been made on the 20th or 21st.

Azerbaijan's revenues from tobacco exports have skyrocketed, with earnings from the first eight months of 2024 reaching $15.6 million, a nearly fivefold increase from $3.2 million during the same period last year. The sharp rise highlights the expanding international demand for Azerbaijan's tobacco products.

Azerbaijan significantly increased its rice imports to 52,500 tons in the first nine months of 2024, marking a 15.1% rise in physical weight and a 33.3% rise in import value compared to the same period in 2023, according to government data. The average price per ton of rice climbed by 15.8% to $1,042.17, up from $899.77 last year, further underscoring Azerbaijan’s reliance on imports to meet domestic demand, with 85% of the country’s rice needs covered through foreign sources.