Uzbek foreign trade swings to surplus of $249 mln in Q1
TASHKENT. April 12 (Interfax) - Uzbekistan had a trade surplus of $249.4 million in Q1 2018 compared with a trade deficit of $76 million in the same period last year, the State Statistic Commission said.
Uzbekistan's foreign trade turnover amounted to $7.9 billion in the three months, including exports of $4.084 billion, 59% more, and imports of $3.834 billion, 45.2% more.
Energy exports were up 91.4% year-on-year, including a 130% increase for natural gas. Food exports rose 49.9%, including increases of 21.6% for wheat and 51.7% for fruits and vegetables.
Machinery and equipment accounted for 37.5% of imports and chemicals and chemical products for 14.4%.
Uzbekistan had a trade deficit with CIS countries amounting to $231.3 million in Q1 2018 and a trade surplus with non-CIS countries of $480.7 million.
Its main CIS trading partners were Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Ukraine, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which accounted for 30.3% of trade turnover. Non-CIS trading partners included China, Turkey, South Korea, Afghanistan, Germany, Latvia, Iran and France, which accounted for 33.4% of trade turnover.
The Uzbek statistics committee has released data on foreign trade turnover for the first time in the last two years. The last time statistics for foreign trade turnover were published by the committee was for H1 2015. Foreign trade turnover was then $12.6 billion including $6.4 billion in exports and $6.3 billion in imports with a surplus of $83.4 million.
Uzbekistan had a trade surplus of $945.5 million in 2017 and a trade deficit of $43 million in 2016.