Uzbekistan has increased its import of natural and synthetic gas by 2.42 times, with purchases totaling $1.68 billion, according to the country’s Statistics Agency.
For the second consecutive year, Uzbekistan remains a net importer of gas, a position it first assumed in 2023 with gas imports worth $695 million. The primary suppliers are Russia and Turkmenistan.
Meanwhile, the export of Uzbek gas grew by 18.4%, with China importing gas worth $627.6 million. However, data from Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency differs from that of China’s General Administration of Customs. The Chinese agency reported imports from Uzbekistan worth $726.2 million, marking a 25.3% increase compared to the previous year. Nonetheless, it recorded a monthly decrease in imports, dropping from $79.4 million in November to $58.8 million in December.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has significantly reduced its gas exports. In 2020, the country ceased gas exports to Russia entirely and reduced shipments to China by threefold. In 2023, Uzbekistan exported $563.54 million worth of gas to China, nearly half of the $1.07 billion recorded in 2022.
In June 2023, Uzbekistan signed a two-year agreement with Gazprom to purchase 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas annually—equivalent to 9 million cubic meters per day. In December, at Tashkent’s request, Gazprom doubled its gas deliveries. The gas is transported via the «Central Asia – Center» pipeline, transiting through Kazakhstan. By 2026, the volume of Russian gas transiting to Uzbekistan is expected to quadruple, reaching 11 billion cubic meters annually.
