Economy

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Trade Turnover Hits US$5.8 Billion in January

Uzbekistan’s Foreign Trade Turnover Hits US$5.8 Billion in January
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Trade Turnover Hits US$5.8 Billion in January / Photo: Pixabay/benscripps / Photo: Pixabay/benscripps.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover reached US$5.8 billion in January 2026, marking a robust year-on-year increase of US$1.32 billion, or 29.2%, according to the National Statistics Committee.

The trade balance for the month showed exports totaling US$1.69 billion, up 26.7% from January 2025, while imports climbed 30.3% to reach US$4.14 billion. This resulted in a trade deficit of approximately US$2.44 billion.

Uzbekistan maintained active trade relations with more than 145 countries. China remains the nation's largest trading partner, accounting for 27.9% of total turnover, followed by Russia at 18.7%, Kazakhstan at 7.1%, Türkiye at 3.6%, and Afghanistan at 2.4%.

Goods comprised 56.2% of the total export structure. Key contributors included industrial goods at 18.1%, food products and live animals at 10.0%, chemicals and related products at 10.0%, and various manufactured articles at 7.1%. Russia served as the primary destination for Uzbek exports, accounting for 19.2% of the total, followed by China at 10.5%, Afghanistan at 8.1%, France at 6.1%, and Türkiye at 5.0%. Combined with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and the UAE, these top partners represented more than 60.0% of all outbound trade.

Agricultural exports saw significant growth, with 106,800 tons of fruit and vegetable products shipped in January. This represents a 13.6% increase in volume compared to the previous year. In value terms, fruit and vegetable exports rose 21.6% to US$99.4 million, making up 5.9% of total exports. Textile exports also performed well, totaling US$216.5 million—a 9.0% increase over January 2025. Finished textile products dominated this sector at 51.4%, followed by yarn at 31.3%.

The services sector witnessed a sharp expansion, with export volume rising 44.1% to US$742.1 million, or 43.8% of the total export share. Tourism led service exports at 47.9%, followed by transport services at 35.9% and telecommunications, computer, and information services at 10.9%.

On the import side, the US$4.14 billion total was largely driven by machinery and transport equipment, which accounted for 35.9% of inbound trade. Industrial goods and chemicals followed at 13.9% and 11.8%, respectively. Total goods imports reached US$3.69 billion, while service imports totaled US$443.0 million.

More than 70.0% of Uzbekistan’s imports originated from seven key partners: China (35.0%), Russia (18.5%), Kazakhstan (8.0%), South Korea (3.0%), Türkiye (3.0%), Germany (2.3%), and Turkmenistan (2.0%). Within the structure of imported services, tourism remained the largest category at 56.2%, followed by transport at 18.7% and digital services at 10.2%.

Askar Yakubov
Askar Yakubov

Askar Yakubov is a professional photojournalist with extensive experience in news and reportage photography. He specializes in fast-paced coverage of social, political, cultural, international, business, and community events, with a sharp eye for capturing expressive shots and conveying the atmosphere of an event under tight time constraints. His skill set spans reportage, portrait, and documentary photography, along with image editing and color correction, and preparing photo materials for media and digital platforms. He is known for his professionalism, adherence to editorial standards, and ability to work both independently and as part of a shooting team.