On 6 August, the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency (MTA) responded to conjecture in the international press concerning the explosion on 4 August in Beirut, Lebanon (Caucasus Watch reported), noting it is not known whether the ammonium nitrate stored in the city’s port was imported from Georgia, reported agenda.ge. Moreover, the MTA noted, transportation and storage of received cargo are the responsibility of importing countries. 

“In September of 2013, the Moldovian-flagged ship Rhosus was detained after a Port Security Service inspection in Beirut, which found a number of violations... The company that owned the ship declared itself bankrupt and abandoned the ship, crew members and cargo at the port of Beirut. Georgian citizens were not among the crew members. Later the cargo was unloaded and stored at the port of Beirut,” read  the official statement of MTA. 

Rustavi Azot LLC, one of the largest Georgian exporters of ammonium nitrate, said that the company was under different management at the time when the ammonium nitrate may have been exported to Lebanon. The company also states that they have no exact information as to where and when the chemical supply in question was manufactured. They also noted that the ammonium nitrate cargo in question had been stored in Beirut since 2013, which is a violation of safety storage standards for the chemical.