BigPicture
IMPORTS
Azerbaijan has rarely been a top importer of UK cars. Now 12th by value, it ranks above Switzerland, Canada and Spain. The country is a “flourishing market in its own right”, trade body SMMT said.
EXPORTS
Over exactly the same period as British car exports to Azerbaijan rose sharply, there was a near-simultaneous rise in car exports from Azerbaijan to Russia (source: Sky News).
CONCLUSION
This raises concerns over compliance with sanctions. The idea that exports are evidence of a thriving economy contrasts sharply with Azerbaijan’s GDP per capita, which has been flat for a decade.
Zero
The level of direct UK car sales into Russia since the invasion of Ukraine Source: HMRC
£115k
The average value of each car the UK sends to Azerbaijan Source: HMRC
£43m
The value of UK car exports to Azerbaijan, as of January 2024
Source: HMRC
