Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In January-April 2021, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover (FTT) reached US$10.32 billion, which, compared to the same period in 2020, decreased by US$378.8 million (a decrease of 3.5%), the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan said.

Of the total volume of the FTT, exports amounted to US$3.48 billion (a 19.1% decrease was noted against January-April 2020), and imports – US$6.84 billion (an increase of 7.0%). As a result, the balance of foreign trade turnover amounted to a passive balance in the amount of US$3.35 billion.

Among the 20 large partner countries in foreign economic activity, there is also an active foreign trade balance with six countries, in particular with such countries as Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Canada and Iran. The remaining 14 countries maintain a passive balance of foreign trade turnover.

Today Uzbekistan carries out trade relations with 156 countries of the world. The largest volume of foreign trade turnover was recorded with the PRC (20.5%), the Russian Federation (17.8%), Kazakhstan (11.8%), Turkey (9.3%), the Republic of Korea (4.8%), Kyrgyzstan (2.4%) and Afghanistan (2.3%).

In the structure of the republic’s foreign trade turnover, a significant share is noted in Tashkent, which is 41.8%, or US$4.32 billion, and the smallest share is recorded at the level of 1.2%, or US$128.7 million, which is marked in Kashkadarya region.

The share of foreign trade turnover of the CIS countries, compared to the same period in 2020, increased by 4.9%. and their share in foreign trade turnover, according to the results of January-April 2021, amounted to 39.3%.

The volume of foreign trade turnover of other states in January-April 2021, compared to the same period of 2019-2020, accordingly decreased and amounted to 60.7% of the total foreign trade turnover.

Foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the CIS countries reached US$4.06 billion. Of these, the volume of exports amounted to 1 339.5 million US dollars, and the volume of imports – US$2.72 billion.

The largest volume of foreign trade turnover with the CIS countries was recorded with the Russian Federation (45.2%), Kazakhstan (29.9%) and Kyrgyzstan (6.2%).

The foreign trade turnover of the Republic of Uzbekistan with the EAEU countries amounted to US$3.38 billion. Of these, the volume of exports amounted to US$1.04 billion, and the volume of imports – US$2.33 billion.

In January-April 2021, the total number of exporters amounted to 3 986, which ensured the increase in the volume of exports to US$3.48 billion (a decrease, compared to the same period in 2020, amounted to 19.1%)

In the structure of exports, 81.3% are goods, which mainly fall on industrial goods (35.9%), food products and live animals (9.0%), chemicals and similar products (8.8%).

Due to a decrease in exports to other foreign countries, the share of exports to the CIS countries increased and their share in its total volume amounted to 38.5%.

Compared to 2019-2020, our main partners in the export of goods and services in foreign trade in January-April 2021 were countries such as China, Turkey, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Their share in the total export volume reached 73.4%.

In the structure of the republic’s exports, a significant share is noted in the city of Tashkent, which is 30.0%, or US$1.04 billion, and the smallest share is recorded at the level of 1.6%, or US$57.1 million, which is marked in Kashkadarya region.

The volume of exports of fruit and vegetable products amounted to 327.9 thousand tons and, in value terms, exceeded US$186.0 million (the growth rate, compared to the same period in 2020, was 0.5%, respectively). Based on this, 263.0 thousand tons of vegetables were exported in the amount of US$123.4 million (the growth rate in value terms, compared to the same period in 2020, respectively, amounted to 2.0%), as well as 34.3 thousand tons of fruits and berries in the amount of US$29.3 million (the rate of decline in value terms, compared to the same period in 2020, respectively, amounted to 13.5%).

In January-April 2021, the share of fruits and vegetables in total exports amounted to 5.3%.

The main export markets for fruit and vegetable products are in Kazakhstan, Russia, China and Pakistan.

According to the results of January-April 2021, the largest volume in value terms of exports of fruits and vegetables falls on Kazakhstan (22.3% of the total volume of fruits and vegetables), which exceeds the volume of exports to Afghanistan by 3.9 times.

According to the results of January-April 2021, the export of textile products was carried out in the amount of US$864.8 million, which amounted to 24.8% of the total export volume and, compared to January-April 2020, it increased by 64.1%.

Cotton yarn (55.2%), as well as finished knitwear and garments (23.1%), account for the main share in the structure of export of textile products. In January-April 2021, more than 396 types of textile products were exported to 55 countries of the world.

The largest share of textile exports falls on the Russian Federation (US$284.6 million - 31.6%), China (US$217.0 million - 24.1%) and Kyrgyzstan (US$112.7 million - 12.5%).

The volume of exports of services in January-April 2021 amounted to US$650.7 million, or 18.7% of total trade exports and decreased compared to the same period in 2020, by 13.2%. Transport services (72.8%), travel (tourism) (12.3%), telecommunications, computer and information services (6.9%), and other business services (3.0%) account for the lion’s share of the export of services. At the same time, other services (5.0%), respectively, account for the largest share of other construction services (1.6%), maintenance and repair services (1.2%), financial services (1.0%), etc.

During the reporting period, imports amounted to US$6.84 billion (an increase in growth rates, compared to January-April 2020, amounted to 7.0%). The main share in its structure is occupied by machinery and transport equipment (32.0%), industrial goods (19.1%), as well as chemicals and similar products (13.9%).

The analysis of the dynamics of imports of goods also showed that in January-April 2021, compared to the same period in 2020, the volume of imports of goods increased by US$586.4 million and amounted to US$6.46 billion, and imports services reached US$380.1 million.

The share of imports from the CIS countries, compared to the same period in 2020, increased by 1.4% and their share in foreign trade turnover, in January-April 2021, amounted to 39.8%.

In general, in January-April 2021, goods and services from 136 countries were imported to the Republic of Uzbekistan. One third of imports comes from such large partner countries as China, the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, Germany and India.

In the structure of imports of the republic, a significant share was noted in Tashkent, which is 47.9%, or 3 US$274.9 million, and the smallest share was recorded in Jizzakh - 1.0%, or US$69.4 million.

The volume of imports of services in January-April 2021 amounted to US$380.1 million, or 5.6% of its total volume and decreased, compared to the same period in 2020, by 27.1%. Travel (tourism - 45.5%), other business services (16.0%), transport services (9.8%) and telecommunications, computer and information services (9.0%) account for the main share of imports of services.

In addition, other services accounted for 19.7% of total imports of services, including a high share of construction services (7.4%), fees for the use of intellectual property (6.6%), maintenance and repair services (2.4%), etc.

At the end of January-April 2021, the volume of machinery and transport equipment in the structure of imports reached US$2.19 billion and decreased, compared to the same period in 2020, by 5.7%, in general, the share in the total volume of imports amounted to 32.0%.

The decrease in the volume of imports of machinery and transport equipment was due to machinery specially designed for specific industries (by 1.1%), as well as apparatus and equipment for telecommunications (by 34.7%).

At the end of January-April 2021, the volume of industrial goods in the structure of imports reached US$1.31 billion and increased, compared to the same period in 2020, by 24.1%, in general, the share in the total volume of imports amounted to 19.1%.

The main imports of industrial goods are cast iron and steel (US$574.8 million), metal products (US$157.4 million), products from non-metallic minerals (US$119.6 million), textile yarn, fabrics, finished products (US$118.2 million), etc.