Tajikistan significantly increased its import volumes of petroleum products in 2023, reaching a growth of 11.6% or 164.2 thousand tons compared to 2022, according to Safarali Kurbonzoda, the Deputy Head of the Antimonopoly Service of Tajikistan, Eurasia Today reports.
According to him, "According to customs statistics, for the current year, the country imported 1.413 million tons of petroleum products totaling $892 million, with an average cost of $631 per ton, exceeding last year's figures by 164.2 thousand tons."
Kurbonzoda pointed out that the majority of imports came from Russia (63.3%), followed by Kazakhstan (25.9%), Uzbekistan (7.4%), Turkmenistan (2%), Belarus (0.7%), and the remaining portion (0.7%) from other countries.
Of the total imported petroleum products, the volume of gasoline amounted to 348 thousand tons, with an average cost of $655 per ton, which is 20% higher than the purchase cost at the beginning of the year.
"In December 2023, the average price of imported gasoline per ton reached $655, which is $131, or 20%, higher compared to January," emphasized Kurbonzoda, highlighting the dynamics of rising procurement costs throughout the year.
Export of Russian petroleum products to Central Asia
In 2023, Russia increased the export of petroleum products to Central Asian countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as Mongolia and Afghanistan.
The main volumes of deliveries to Central Asia are carried out by rail, with a small percentage of pipeline deliveries.
In particular, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan significantly increased the import of various types of petroleum products from the Russian Federation.
Shipments of automotive gasoline to the countries of Central Asia, Mongolia, and Afghanistan grew by 33% in 2023 to 2.441 million tons, diesel fuel by 26% to 2.943 million tons, and aviation kerosene by 21% to 0.554 million tons.
The supply of mazut increased 2.8 times to 719,500 tons over the year, bitumen doubled to 500,000 tons, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) doubled to 469,000 tons.
Earlier, during a reporting press conference, the Minister of Agriculture of Tajikistan, Kurbon Hakimzoda, reminded that at the end of 2023, a roadmap was signed between Dushanbe and Moscow, envisaging the expansion of cooperation in the trade sphere as well.
Tajikistan will expand its supply of agricultural products to Russia, and Russia, in turn, will export agricultural equipment, machinery, and mineral fertilizers to Tajikistan.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
February 13, 2024