Italy retained its position as the largest importer of Azerbaijani crude oil in the first five months of 2026, even as Azerbaijan's overall oil exports declined compared with the same period last year.

The country exported 5.34 million tonnes of crude oil to Italy between January and May 2026, a 6.8% decrease year-on-year. The value of those exports fell 2.2% to $3.02 billion, The Caspian Post reports via Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.

Romania ranked as Azerbaijan's second-largest oil customer, importing 461,317 tonnes, down 32.5% from a year earlier, while the value of imports dropped 34.3% to $247.8 million.

The Czech Republic came third, purchasing 433,064 tonnes of Azerbaijani oil, a 22.5% decline year-on-year. The total value of exports to the country reached $245.7 million, down 19.3%.

The remaining countries in the top ten importers were:

Portugal - 395,032 tonnes

Germany - 360,299 tonnes

Tunisia - 307,167 tonnes

Greece - 284,375 tonnes

Bulgaria - 277,991 tonnes

Croatia - 276,343 tonnes

Thailand - 137,360 tonnes

Overall, Azerbaijan exported 8.83 million tonnes of crude oil during the January-May period, a 14.8% decline compared with the same period in 2025. Export revenues fell 9.2% to $5.12 billion.

Despite the overall decline, Italy continued to dominate as Azerbaijan's key oil market, underscoring the country's strategic role in supplying energy to Europe. In 2025, Azerbaijan exported 23.38 million tonnes of crude oil to 22 countries, generating $12.09 billion in revenue.