Azerbaijan, Uruguay strengthen trade ties with record livestock exports

Azerbaijan has always prioritized productive and promising relations in its political and economic relations with European and overseas countries. The results of this have always been evident.

Take the economic cooperation and the cooperation in animal husbandry with the South American countries. Having become an important milestone for Uruguayan livestock farming, the country carried out its first permanent export of vaccines to Azerbaijan, opening a new direction for this sector. Gadoville led the shipment of 1,700 pregnant Hollando and Aberdeen Angus heifers bound for Turkiye, in addition to 500 Angus heifers sent to Azerbaijan. The operation reinforces growing international demand for Uruguayan genetics at a time when cattle breeding exports have shown a significant increase compared to the previous year.

According to customs data, 42,977 active vaccines have been exported since the beginning of the year, more than double the 20,000 shipments registered in the same period in 2024. Of that total, 27,796 animals were destined for Turkiye, and 14,673 were sent to Morocco, making these countries the main buyers of Uruguayan cattle.

The Holando cows exported to Turkiye had pedigree information certified by the Uruguayan Association of Livestock Data and Information (Audig), allowing genomic testing of 100% of the animals. This requirement meets the need to insure animals with American and Canadian genetics, which are more adapted to the stable rearing systems that are the predominant method in Turkiye.

As for the Aberdeen Angus heifers, the animals exported complied with the Turkish import protocol, which requires that the bellies of beef breeds must be under 22 months old and classified as a milk tooth and 2 teeth. In the case of the shipment to Azerbaijan, the cargo consisted exclusively of Angus, which expanded the opportunities for Uruguayan cattle in international markets.

The FOB price for each animal was $ 1,100, increasing the economic attractiveness of this export for the Uruguayan livestock sector. The Gadoville company has stated their intention to maintain this commercial flow, especially in the segment of genomic tested bellies, because of the guarantees it provides to buyers in terms of performance.

Certainly, in return for all this, Azerbaijan has also been able to achieve high figures in trade turnover with Uruguay. Thus, last year, oil worth 85.1 million USD was exported from the Republic of Azerbaijan to Uruguay.

Besides, over the past ten years, Azerbaijan has imported various products, including pharmaceutical products, pearls, precious stones, inorganic chemicals, precious metal compounds, isotope metals, coins, ceramic products, wood and articles of wood, wood charcoal, etc.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Uruguay have also continued successfully. Although at certain times, against the backdrop of tense relations with Armenia, Uruguay’s position caused some concern, it ultimately shifted in a positive direction. Uruguay has always supported peace and stability in the South Caucasus, and it recognized the territories of Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur, which were previously occupied by Armenia, as part of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

Diplomatic relations with Uruguay became even more intensive after 2013, leading to an increase in mutual visits. Shared interests between the two countries resulted in several bilateral agreements signed between the foreign ministries of both countries. One of these agreements was the removal of the visa regime for official and diplomatic representatives in 2013, followed by the Agreement on Customs Cooperation (2016) and the Agreement on Cultural Cooperation (2017).