TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, January 23. Uzbekistan exported $563.5 million worth of natural gas to China from January through December 2023, Trend reports.
According to data from China's General Customs Administration, this figure is 47.4 percent lower than last year.
Uzbekistan's monthly gas shipments to China reached $54.5 million in December, a decrease of less than 1 percent from November. Gas exports to China have remained at their highest levels since last summer.
Turkmenistan continues to be the leading supplier of gas to China, having supplied $9.6 billion in the last 12 months, followed by Russia, which nearly doubled its natural gas exports to $6.4 billion.
The data from the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan shows that the country's foreign gas exports totaled $529.9 million in 2023, which is 42.7 percent less year-on-year. Gas shipments exceeded $20 million in December, but Uzbekistan's official data differ 2.5 times from Chinese customs statistics.
As per data from Uzbekistan's statistics agency, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and China showed a 52.2 percent growth in 2023, reaching $13.7 billion. Exports accounted for $2.5 billion, while imports exceeded $11.2 billion.
Uzbekistan's total foreign trade increased by 23.9 percent to $62.5 billion. Exports accounted for $24.4 billion, and imports for $38.1 billion.
Earlier in 2023, Uzbekistan and China agreed to increase trade turnover between the two countries to $20 billion in the next five years and expressed interest in establishing joint production of innovative products with high added value.
