Food Safety Regulation and Their Impact on Azerbaijan Vegetable Oil Trade

Abstract

The objective of the research was to assess the impact of the valid food safety regulations adaptation, based on the technical regulatory acts on vegetable oils to international requirements such as CODEX Alimentarius in the Republic of Azerbaijan, on total exports. After scientific works related to the research examination after analysing the data, it was determined that the majority of scholars focused on examining the impact of regulations on the expansion of export markets and the rise in the price of exported goods, rather than its effect on overall export volumes. To explore this further, the study initially investigated the contribution of vegetable oil exports to the overall export of food products in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Along with the Herfindahl Hirschman Index, which reflects the level of concentration of vegetable oil exports, statistical data analysis and comparison methods were used. One of the main essential issues when examining data on the vegetable oils export was the concentration level of vegetable oils export in the Republic of Azerbaijan. As a result of the analysis of export data for individual importing countries, it is clear that in 2022 the number of countries importing vegetable oils from the Republic of Azerbaijan has increased compared to 2019. In addition, with the help of the Herfindahl Hirschman Index, the degree of concentration of Azerbaijan's vegetable oil export was studied and it was found that although positive progress was achieved in the concentration level of the export market in the country compared to 2019, in general, the export market of vegetable oils was considered to be highly concentrated. In addition, although there was a negative relationship between the export amount of vegetable oils and the Herfindahl Hirschman Index, this relationship was not considered significant.