Uzbekistan’s gas imports surge by 2.4 times, exports to China grow by 25%

According to data from the Statistics Agency, Uzbekistan became a net importer of gas in 2024 for the second year in a row. From January to December, natural gas imports from Turkmenistan and Russia increased by 2.41 times, reaching $1.67 billion. Monthly imports slowed to $127.9 million. In 2023, for the first time in its history as an independent nation, Uzbekistan transitioned from being a gas exporter to a gas importer.

Gas exports to China in December saw a significant decline compared to November, falling from $53 million to $34.2 million. However, total exports to China over the 12 months reached $627.6 million, marking an 18.4% increase.

Notably, data from Uzbekistan’s Statistics Agency differs significantly from figures provided by China’s General Administration of Customs, which reported that Uzbekistan exported $726.2 million worth of gas to China in 2024, a 25.3% increase compared to the previous year.

China’s customs figures also highlight a decline in monthly gas exports from Uzbekistan, dropping from $79.4 million in November to $58.8 million in December. Nevertheless, this figure is more than 8% higher than in December 2023.

Turkmenistan remains the leading gas exporter to China, supplying $9.57 billion worth of natural gas since the beginning of the year. Russia ranks second, increasing its gas exports by 25% to $8.03 billion, followed by Myanmar ($1.39 billion) and Kazakhstan ($1.36 billion).