In 2024, Azerbaijan was the fifth-ranked producer of iodine (excluding the United States), having accounted for 0.6% of world output. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included aluminum, bentonite, cement, copper, gold, gypsum, lime, limestone, nitrogen, salt, sand, silver, and steel. Azerbaijan’s importance as a world mineral producer, however, was based on its crude petroleum industry and, more recently, its natural gas industry. The value added of mining and other extractive production contributed 29.4% to the country’s GDP. In 2024, Azerbaijan exported 197 metric tons (t) of iodine valued at \$11.1 million, which was a decrease of 14.7% and 28.2%, respectively, compared with exports in 2023.
The primary law regulating exploration, rational use, and environmental protection of subsoil resources is the Law on Subsoil of 1998, which was most recently amended in February 2024. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources was responsible for carrying out geologic exploration, search, evaluation, and monitoring works. Many mineral industry facilities were privately owned, but several large companies, most notably the Ganja aluminum refinery and ZAO AzerGold, were owned by the Government. The sole producer of iodine in Azerbaijan was Iodico LLC, which was a subsidiary of R Group Holding. The company produced iodine from brine and operated 80 wells. The plant was located in Neftchala Region and reportedly had 170,000 t of iodine resources.
