Georgian livestock exporters say new regulations introduced by Azerbaijan will significantly reduce the export of live animals from Georgia, as tighter limits on the number of animals per transport vehicle increase costs and disrupt trade flows.
According to the company “Va-Toshi,” Azerbaijan has recently revised its rules for transporting sheep and cattle, sharply reducing allowable volumes per truck. Previously, up to 450 sheep could be transported in one vehicle, but the new limit has been set at 150. For cattle, the limit has been reduced from 100 to 60 animals per truck.
Company director Vakhtang Khositashvili said the changes will increase transport costs and may cut export volumes by up to 20%. He noted that Georgia exports around 150,000 sheep to Azerbaijan during the season, but under the new rules this figure could fall sharply.
Exporters say regulatory instability in key markets remains a major challenge and are calling for government-level engagement to resolve the issue through dialogue between Georgian and Azerbaijani authorities.
