Uzbek Foreign Trade Reaches US$41 Billion in First Half of 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover reached US$41 billion in January–June 2026, an increase of US$2.8 billion, or 7.4 percent, compared with the same period last year, according to a report by the National Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics.

The growth in trade turnover was driven by an increase in imports alongside a drop in exports. Imports reached US$25.1 billion, rising 21 percent year-on-year, while exports fell to US$15.9 billion, a decline of 8.8 percent. As a result, the foreign trade deficit widened to US$9.3 billion, up from US$3.4 billion a year earlier.

Exports Excluding Gold Up Nearly One-Third

The main driver behind the drop in overall exports was a sharp reduction in shipments of non-monetary gold. The value of gold exports fell from US$6.5 billion to US$1.5 billion, and its share of total exports dropped from 37.3 percent to 9.5 percent. Excluding gold, exports of goods increased by 28.7 percent to US$8.2 billion.

In the commodity structure of exports, industrial goods accounted for 15.2 percent, miscellaneous manufactured articles made up 8.6 percent, food and live animals represented 8.3 percent, and chemical products accounted for 8.1 percent. Exports of industrial goods rose to US$2.4 billion, up 22.8 percent, led by textile yarn and fabric at US$975.9 million and non-ferrous metals at US$882 million. Exports of miscellaneous manufactured articles nearly doubled to US$1.36 billion, while clothing exports increased 31.4 percent to US$629.9 million. Chemical exports rose to US$1.28 billion, driven primarily by inorganic chemicals at US$789.1 million.

Exports of food and live animals grew by 9 percent to US$1.32 billion. The statistics agency noted growth in fruit and vegetable shipments, with 1,086,700 tonnes exported for a total of US$872.9 million during the six-month period, up 3 percent from a year earlier. Within this category, shipments of onions, cabbage, carrots, and garlic increased, while exports of sweet cherries and apricots declined.

Textile exports grew by 24.1 percent to US$1.6 billion, accounting for 10.1 percent of all merchandise exports. Finished textile products made up 52.6 percent of textile exports, and yarn accounted for 31.1 percent.

Services exports showed the strongest growth, rising 35.7 percent to US$6.2 billion and accounting for 39.1 percent of the country's total exports. Travel and tourism made up 52.9 percent of services exports, while transport services accounted for 31.6 percent. Telecommunications and information services represented 8.8 percent, followed by other business services at 3 percent.

Imports Increase Across Most Categories

Imports of goods and services increased 21 percent to US$25.1 billion. Goods imports rose by US$4 billion to US$22.2 billion, while services imports reached US$3 billion, up 12.3 percent.

Machinery and transport equipment dominated imports, accounting for 32.8 percent at US$8.25 billion, a 25.1 percent increase. Within this category, automobile imports showed the highest growth, rising 31.7 percent to US$2 billion, with passenger car imports up 84.5 percent. Shipments of power-generating equipment increased 56 percent, and imports of telecommunications equipment nearly doubled.

Industrial goods accounted for 14.8 percent of imports at US$3.73 billion, led by iron and steel at US$1.48 billion. Chemical imports made up 12.1 percent at US$3 billion, with medical and pharmaceutical products forming the largest share at US$966.4 million. Imports of food and live animals rose 44.2 percent to US$2.82 billion, including a 67.3 percent increase in cereal imports to US$761.1 million.

Gasoline imports surged 78.5 percent to US$409.5 million, while diesel fuel imports fell 11.1 percent.

Travel and tourism led services imports at 43.8 percent, followed by transport services at 27.5 percent.

China and Russia Remain Main Trade Partners

According to the agency, Uzbekistan maintains trade relations with more than 195 countries. China remains the country's largest partner in total trade turnover with a 23.1 percent share, followed by Russia at 17.1 percent. Kazakhstan accounted for 6.8 percent, Türkiye for 3.4 percent, and Afghanistan for 2.6 percent. Trade turnover with Afghanistan grew by nearly 50 percent over the year to US$1.08 billion.

Russia was the leading export destination, taking 14.9 percent of total exports, followed by China at 9 percent, Afghanistan at 6.1 percent, Kazakhstan and France at 4.5 percent each, Hong Kong at 3.4 percent, and Türkiye at 3.3 percent. Together, these countries accounted for more than half of Uzbekistan's exports. Exports to Hong Kong grew more than eightfold, from US$72 million to US$594.7 million.

The ranking was reversed for imports, with China taking first place at a 32 percent share, followed by Russia at 18.5 percent, Kazakhstan at 8.2 percent, the Republic of Korea at 3.6 percent, Türkiye at 3.5 percent, Germany at 2.1 percent, and India at 2 percent. These seven countries supplied more than 70 percent of all goods and services imported into Uzbekistan.