Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 15
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
In January-October 2018, the volume of agricultural exports from Uzbekistan to new markets of China, Vietnam and Pakistan increased 4.5-fold and totaled 85,800 tons worth $60.9 million, Uzbek state enterprise Uzagroexport told Trend on Nov. 15.
If in the first 10 months of 2017, only 14,000 tons of agricultural products worth $10.5 million were exported to China, in 2018 exports reached 42,100 tons worth $30 million. Supplies to Vietnam increased from 2,600 tons ($1.7 million) to 22,100 tons ($14.2 million), to Pakistan – from 1,900 tons ($1.3 million) to 21,600 tons ($16.7 million).
Overall, during the reporting period, exports of fruits and vegetables from Uzbekistan exceeded one million tons and reached $732.5 million, which is 43.3 percent more than the same period last year.
The main foreign trade partners of Uzbekistan in the supply of agricultural products were Kazakhstan (502,100 tons worth $343.1 million, 46.8 percent of the total), Russia (200,500 worth $139.3 million, 19 percent) and Kyrgyzstan (76,800 worth $69 million, 9.4 percent).
Uzagroexport added that exports of fruits and vegetables, grapes, melons, legumes, as well as dried fruits and vegetables are growing as a result of expanding the country's export potential and geography in new markets.
Earlier it was reported that in January-October 2018, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover amounted to $25.76 million, which is 15.8 percent more than in the same period last year.
In the total value of the foreign trade turnover, exports accounted for $10.25 million (a 4.1-percent decline), and imports accounted for $15.51 million (a 34.4-percent growth). The foreign trade deficit reached $5.25 million.
The share of CIS countries in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover in January-October 2018 increased to 38.3 percent.
The main foreign trade partners of Uzbekistan are still China ($5 million), Russia ($4.56 million), Kazakhstan ($2.36 million), Turkey ($1.74 million) and South Korea ($1.53 million).
In the structure of exports, the share of goods reached 75.4 percent (energy resources and oil products accounted for 19.9 percent, food products accounted for 9 percent, chemical products and items thereof accounted for 7.3 percent).
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