Uzbekistan doubles gasoline imports in first four months of 2026

From January to April, the country imported a total of 568,700 tons of gasoline valued at $327.1 million. The average cost per ton of imported fuel during this period stood at $575. This marks a sharp increase from the January–April period of 2025, when foreign fuel purchases totaled 280,700 tons, costing the state budget $163.6 million.

While import volumes surged, domestic production also showed steady upward momentum. Figures from the National Statistics Committee indicate that local refineries produced 417,500 tons of gasoline during the same four-month window. This represents a 7% expansion in domestic output, rising by 27,500 tons compared to the corresponding period in 2025.

The shifting landscape of the country's fuel market is largely driven by a major environmental and regulatory transition. In September 2025, Uzbekistan halted both the production and exchange trading of low-octane AI–80 gasoline. Following the ban, state energy company Uzbekneftegaz announced a phased transition to higher-octane alternatives, focusing its refining capacities on the production of cleaner-burning AI–92 motor fuel to align with regional environmental strategies.