Growth is still strong in 2026, while Georgia remains a large net importer
The latest official data strengthen the business case beyond the full-year 2025 picture. Geostat estimates average real GDP growth of 7.9% in January–June 2026, with June alone up 8.6% year on year. Merchandise trade reached USD 12.93 billion in the first half: exports rose 20.0% to USD 3.88 billion and imports edged up 0.7% to USD 9.05 billion.
Foreign direct investment was USD 271.2 million in Q1 2026, 47.7% above the preliminary Q1 2025 level. For Czech companies, the practical signal is not simply fast GDP growth; it is that expansion continues to be accompanied by demand for imported equipment, vehicles, systems, materials and specialist capability.
Jan–Jun 2026
Jan–Jun 2026
Jan–Jun 2026
Q1 2026
The strongest Czech opportunities sit where growth needs equipment, engineering or service
Geostat’s June release identifies manufacturing, transportation and storage, construction, information and communication, and financial activities among the important contributors to current growth. Czech official country guidance also points to imported technology needs in agriculture and food processing, transport infrastructure, energy, construction and waste management.
Machinery, controls, electrical systems, automation, maintenance and specialist production technology.
Rail, road, municipal mobility, warehousing, fleet, logistics IT and equipment linked to transit and domestic distribution.
HVAC, energy efficiency, safety, electrical systems, materials and engineering services for a still-active construction market.
Cold chain, packaging, processing lines, agricultural machinery and technologies that improve domestic output and export quality.
Medical devices, diagnostics, laboratory systems and specialised hospital equipment for private and public buyers.
Renewables, grid and electrical equipment, water, wastewater, waste and environmental-monitoring solutions.
Czech suppliers already have a measurable position—and 2026 trade is continuing
Final full-year Czech statistics published in the 2026 country guidance show CZK 6.77 billion of Czech goods exports to Georgia in 2025 and CZK 1.08 billion of Georgian exports to Czechia. Czech exports were slightly lower than the 2024 record but remained close to three times their 2021 level.
For the first half of 2026, Geostat recorded USD 119.1 million of Georgian imports from Czechia and USD 10.3 million of Georgian exports to Czechia. These H1 figures use Georgian FOB/CIF trade methodology and should not be treated as a direct currency conversion of the Czech annual series; together, however, they confirm that bilateral goods trade remains active in 2026.
| Full-year Czech statistics | 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech exports to Georgia | CZK 2.28bn | CZK 5.11bn | CZK 6.88bn | CZK 6.77bn |
| Georgian exports to Czechia | CZK 0.62bn | CZK 0.70bn | CZK 0.94bn | CZK 1.08bn |
The EU–Georgia framework lowers some barriers, but product-level work still decides the transaction
The EU–Georgia DCFTA eliminates most tariffs and provides a framework for regulatory approximation and customs cooperation. Czech and Georgian businesses also operate within an established bilateral framework that includes a double-taxation agreement, an investment-protection agreement and an economic-cooperation agreement.
None of this removes the need to check the exact tariff code, origin, product conformity, licences, labelling, tax treatment or importer responsibilities. The framework is useful because it makes many transactions more predictable; it is not a substitute for transaction-specific compliance.
Two operating changes are especially relevant to foreign companies
Central Procurement Agency from 1 June 2026
Georgia’s procurement structure changed in June 2026 with a new Central Procurement Agency taking responsibility for consolidated purchasing. Suppliers targeting public-sector demand should therefore check the current procurement route and tender authority rather than relying on older practice.
New work-right requirements from 1 March 2026
Work-authorisation requirements for foreigners have also changed. Czech companies planning local employment or secondments should verify the current work and residence requirements before deployment.
Tbilisi is the decision-making hub, but sector demand extends well beyond the capital
Tbilisi remains the natural base for ministries, banks, headquarters, advisers, distributors and most initial business-development work. The operating location can be different: Ajara and the Black Sea matter for tourism and logistics; agricultural regions matter for production and food processing; energy and municipal infrastructure projects are distributed across the country.
Georgia’s role in the Middle Corridor adds a second layer of opportunity in logistics, rail, ports, warehousing, customs technology and digital coordination. That role is commercially relevant, but it should be evaluated project by project because infrastructure and border-process bottlenecks remain part of the corridor economics.
Georgia tends to work best for focused, higher-value offers—not volume assumptions
| A stronger fit | Requires more caution |
|---|---|
| Technical products, equipment or systems that solve a clear productivity or infrastructure problem. | Business models that require very large domestic consumer volumes. |
| Concentrated B2B or institutional buyer groups that can be reached with targeted selling. | Low-margin products where freight, importer margin and local support erase price competitiveness. |
| Offers where a distributor, integrator or representative adds real service and market access. | Plans that assume a local partner will create demand without sustained supplier-side engagement. |
| Projects tied to energy, transport, agriculture, waste, healthcare, construction or modernisation. | Offers dependent on unverified tariff, certification, origin or procurement assumptions. |
Fast growth does not make Georgia a frictionless market
The domestic market is compact, specialist technical labour can be limited, and some projects depend on public procurement, donor financing or long sales cycles. Czech official country guidance also highlights the importance of regulatory consistency, public administration, judicial quality and the wider political and geopolitical environment.
For most SMEs, the sensible response is a proportionate entry model: validate demand, verify counterparties, confirm compliance, budget for local follow-up and add permanent presence only when the order pipeline justifies it.