Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover in January-July 2023 amounted to $34.97 billion, increasing by $6.6 billion or 23.3% compared to the same period in 2022, according to a report from the Agency of Statistics under the President of Uzbekistan, Gazeta.uz reports.
Export
Exports grew by 31% to $14.95 billion, while imports increased to $20.02 billion (+18.1%). The trade deficit exceeded -$5.07 billion, which is lower than the previous year's figure ($5.54 billion). The deficit was reduced only due to a sharp increase in gold exports.
Specifically, in the first seven months of 2023, Uzbekistan sold gold worth $5.64 billion, which is 2.1 times more than January-July 2022 ($2.97 billion) and more than the entire year of 2022 ($4.11 billion). Gold accounts for 37.7% of the country's total exports. In July alone, gold was sold for $1.26 billion (despite a decrease in gold reserves), while there were no sales in June.
The share of industrial goods in exports decreased from 23.6% to 16.3% due to a decline in shipments from $2.7 billion to $2.4 billion.
Export excluding gold grew by only 10.4% to $9.3 billion.
Tourism export volume amounted to $1.24 billion (42.1% of the service volume). For comparison, this figure was $732.5 million in January-July 2022 and $175.9 million for the same period in 2021. In other words, tourism revenue grew 7-fold over two years.
In the first half of this year, Uzbekistan was visited by 3.1 million tourists for tourism purposes, which is 60% more than in the same period of 2022.
Import
Uzbekistan continues to import food products: cereals and products thereof - $669.6 million (+16.1%), sugar, sugar products, and honey - $326.1 million (+13.3%), coffee, tea, cocoa, spices - $198.5 million (+26.5%), vegetable oils and fats - $197.2 million (+89%), vegetables and fruits - $195.4 million (+18%), meat and meat products - $171.1 million (+8.1%), dairy products and eggs - $121.8 million (+39.7%).
Imports of oil and oil products also grew to $1 billion (+59.6%), coal, coke, and briquettes - $98 million (+56.6%). Gas supplies remained at $201 million; in July, gas was imported for $1 million, and in June for $48.8 million. In March, Uzbekistan imported gas for $151.2 million.
Imports of automobiles increased to $832.8 million (+80.7%), parts - to $801.8 million (+8.6%), aircraft and other flying machines - $482.1 million (2.2 times).
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 23, 2023