Customs data from the early 2010s illustrate just how strong this position once was. In 2010, Azerbaijan’s sugar imports exceeded exports by $62.8 million. That imbalance proved temporary. By 2011, the country had become a net exporter, with exports exceeding imports by $2.2 million. The surplus widened steadily, $12 million in 2012, $14.8 million in 2013, and peaked in 2015 at $62.3 million. Sugar was not merely present in the non-oil export basket; it was among its leading items.