Azerbaijan Cuts Russian Oil Imports by Ninefold Amid Domestic Expansion

Azerbaijan has significantly reduced its oil imports from Russia in 2026. According to Interfax-Ukraine, between January and May of this year, Azerbaijan imported 69,420 metric tons of oil worth $37.5 million from Russia, a decline of 9.3-fold by volume and 8.4-fold by value compared to the same period last year.

The majority of these imports came from Russia, totaling 64,630 metric tons, which is 93.1% of Azerbaijan's oil imports during this period. The value of Russian oil imports was $33.66 million, down 8.7-fold.

Azerbaijan did not import any Russian oil in May, and the remaining 4,790 metric tons came from Kazakhstan, which is also a decline of 8.7-fold by volume and worth $3.84 million, a decrease of 5.9-fold compared to last year's imports.

Azerbaijan has been expanding its domestic oil production and increasing its presence in global markets. In July, private Azerbaijani energy company GL Group acquired oil and gas assets at four producing fields in the United States, while Japan resumed oil imports from Azerbaijan in May.