MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

On July 7, the first session of the joint commission on the Free Trade Agreement between the Government of Georgia and the Government of the People’s Republic of China was held in Tbilisi. The session was co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Genadi Arveladze, and the Director of the Department of Relations with the World Trade Organization of the Ministry of Commerce of China, Han Yong.

The parties discussed the implementation of the first 5 years of the Free Trade Agreement. Attention was focused on the achievements of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, and the progress achieved by the Free Trade Agreement was highlighted, which was positively assessed by both sides. It was noted that China has been the number one trade partner for Georgia for the last three years.

“Free Trade Agreement with China came into effect on January 1, 2018. Since that time, there has been a significant increase in exports to China. For example, exports to China have doubled,” – Genadi Arveladze, Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia stated. According to Arveladze, China was the main export market for Georgian products in 2020-2022, which is a tangible positive result of the Agreement.

Deputy Minister also informed that after the implementation of the Agreement, many new Georgian export products appeared on the Chinese consumer market, including orthopaedic and surgical tools, dry fruits, spices, coffee and tea extracts and many others. “According to the export data of 2022, among the largest foreign trade partners of Georgia, China is on the first place, with a 13% share in the total export,” – Genadi Arveladze noted.

The session was held in a positive and constructive discussion mode. The conversation also covered promotion of the export of Georgian wine and alcoholic products to China, activating cooperation in the fields of geographical indications, customs and technical regulation. Attention was also focused on the existing barriers in the field of trade in goods, requirements for market access and recognition of products of animal origin by China, including honey and poultry meat, etc.