US TARIFFS AND IMPORTS INTO AZERBAIJAN
The US government, under a new "reciprocal" tariff policy, imposed a ten percent import duty tariff on goods from many countries, including the Republic of Azerbaijan. The tariff took effect in the first week of April 2025 as a part of a broader tariff regime announced by President Trump. The US characterized the ten percent rate as the minimum or baseline tariff, which is applied to countries like Azerbaijan that do not heavily tariff US products.
It is explicitly noted that the ten percent duty on Azerbaijani commodities was chosen to mirror the Republic's import duties on American goods, which raised the question of whether Azerbaijan has likewise imposed the ten percent customs tariff on imports originating from the US.
As of April 2025, Azerbaijan has not introduced any new or special ten percent tariffs specifically targeting imports from the US. Instead, US-origin goods entering Azerbaijan remain subject to the standard import tariffs that Azerbaijan applies to all non-preferential trade partners. While Azerbaijan is not a WTO member, it maintains a unified tariff schedule (with some bilateral exceptions) rather than country-specific rates. In 2018, Azerbaijan overhauled its customs tariff schedule, simplifying it to just three basic rates – zero, five and 15 percent – depending on a category of merchandise.
The Cabinet of Ministers Resolution establishes the Republic's import tariffs; the foundational acts are Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 91 of 22 April 1998, On Rates of Customs Duties for Import-Export Transactions, and Resolution No. 500 of 17 November 2017, On Foreign Business Nomenclature of Goods and Rates of Import and Export Customs Duties. The Resolution (issued under the authority of the Customs Code and the Law, On Customs Tariffs) approved a detailed tariff schedule by commodity.
Notably, ten percent is not a prescribed uniform tariff rate in the Republic's schedule; it may represent though an approximate average of duties applied to US products. Many US exports to Azerbaijan (e.g., heavy equipment, industrial machinery) fall under low or zero duties, whereas others (e.g., certain consumer or food products) face the 15 percent rate.
There is no separate act that names the US or sets a country-specific rate for US goods. Instead, US-origin products are subject to the same commodity-based duty rates as other non-preferential imports. For example, a piece of machinery or equipment from the US might be duty-free if it is in a category exempted to promote investment.
The Republic's current tariff framework has been in effect since January 2018 and continues unchanged in 2025. By contrast, the US ten percent tariff took effect in April 2025, but Azerbaijan has so far not approved any reciprocal measures. Any change to the Republic's import duties would require an amendment to Resolution No. 500.
All categories of goods imported from the United States are currently treated under the Republic's standard tariff rates, as described above. There is no narrow list of US-based goods subject to a new tariff. In practical terms, most US exports to Azerbaijan are industrial equipment, machinery, vehicles, and agricultural commodities. For instance, many capital goods and oil/gas sector equipment are duty-exempt or have a low duty to encourage development, whereas imported foods or consumer goods (including those from the US) see the higher 15 percent rate intended to protect local producers.
Azerbaijan does have free and preferential trade agreements with certain partners. For example, a preferential trade accord with Türkiye, effective in 2021, lowers tariffs on specific bilateral goods. While the US is not a party to any such agreements with Azerbaijan, US goods do not benefit from reduced rates. However, they also do not face any additional tariffs – the Republic's customs policies generally apply equally to all trade partners, with changes made via broad tariff reforms rather than country-targeted duties.
Given the Republic's relatively modest trade volume with the US, the impact of the American tariffs on the Republic's economy is expected to be limited, reducing the incentive for retaliation.
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