According to the State Statistics Committee data reviewed by Gazeta, Uzbekistan imported natural gas worth $508.3 million in January-April 2026.
This figure is 53.6% higher than in the same period last year. Updated data from the committee shows that gas imports in January-April 2025 amounted to $330.9 million.
Notably, the report published a year earlier indicated imports of only $150.5 million for that period, meaning the difference between the updated and initial data for January-April 2025 is $180.4 million.
Monthly imports in 2026 were: January — $167.6 million, February — $34.6 million, March — $158.3 million, and April — $147.8 million.
Natural gas exports over the four months totaled $129.4 million, a 35.2% decrease from $199.7 million in the same period last year.
No gas exports occurred in January. Exports resumed in February at $7.1 million, rising to $29.4 million in March and $92.7 million in April.
According to China's General Administration of Customs, Uzbekistan exported $46.05 million worth of natural gas to China in January-April. A small shipment of $1.09 million was made in January, and after a two-month pause, imports resumed in April at $44.97 million.
In January-April 2025, Uzbekistan exported $143 million worth of gas to China (3.1 times more), with shipments occurring every month.
Historically, almost all of Uzbekistan's gas exports went to China. Gazeta has repeatedly noted that Chinese customs data on gas imports from Uzbekistan exceed the figures announced by the Uzbek side. For example, in 2025, China estimated imports from Uzbekistan at $773.3 million, while Uzbekistan's total gas exports (to all countries) were $628.8 million — a discrepancy of $144.5 million.
Over 2020-2025, the cumulative discrepancy between the two countries' data on gas supplies reached $687.2 million.
In January-April 2026, the discrepancy was also significant — over $83.3 million — but this time in the opposite direction: Uzbek data showed higher exports than Chinese data.
Theoretically, some gas could have been supplied to other countries, such as Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan. However, Kyrgyz statistics show no Uzbek gas deliveries in January-March. Tajikistan does not disclose its gas import volumes, but in previous years these were negligible.
Source: www.gazeta.uz