Uzbekistan resumed gold exports in July 2026 after a hiatus, supplying approximately $1.3 billion worth of the precious metal. Since the beginning of the year, gold exports have exceeded $2.8 billion, according to preliminary data from the National Statistics Committee published by Gazeta.uz.
Overall, the country's foreign trade turnover for January–July reached $49.5 billion, an increase of 8.1% compared to the same period last year. Exports, however, decreased by 3.6% to $19.9 billion, while imports increased by 17.8% to $29.6 billion. The negative foreign trade balance amounted to approximately $9.7 billion.
At the same time, the structure of exports is changing significantly. Exports of goods excluding gold increased by 27.7%, reaching $9.8 billion. Textile exports increased by 26.6%, reaching $1.9 billion.
The decline in the role of gold is particularly significant: its share of total exports fell from 36.7% to 14.1%. At the same time, the share of services increased to 36.8%, industrial goods to 14.4%, and finished goods to 8.4%.
The resumption of large gold exports remains an important source of foreign exchange earnings, but statistics indicate a gradual diversification of Uzbek exports. Growth in non-commodity exports could strengthen the resilience of foreign trade, although the rapid increase in imports and the persistent trade deficit indicate that the transformation of the export model is still accompanied by significant trade imbalances.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 28, 2026