In January-May 2026, Uzbekistan imported natural gas worth $724.7 million, an 84.1% increase compared to the same period last year. According to the State Statistics Committee, gas imports in January-May 2025 amounted to $393.6 million.

However, an earlier report for the same period in 2025 had indicated imports of $285.5 million. The difference between the updated and initial data is $108.1 million.

Monthly imports were: January – $167.6 million, February – $34.6 million, March – $158.3 million, April – $147.8 million, and May – $216.4 million, the highest since the beginning of the year.

Over five months, natural gas exports fell to $202.9 million, down 29.5% from $288 million in the same period last year. No exports occurred in January; exports resumed in February at $7.1 million, followed by $29.4 million in March, $92.7 million in April, and $73.5 million in May.

According to China's General Administration of Customs, Uzbekistan exported $139.6 million worth of natural gas to China in January-May. A small shipment of $1.09 million was made in January, followed by a two-month pause. China resumed imports in April ($44.97 million), and in May the figure reached $93.6 million.

In January-May 2025, Uzbekistan supplied China with $264.9 million worth of gas – 1.9 times more than in the same period of 2026. At that time, supplies were made every month.

Previously, almost all of Uzbekistan's gas exports were directed to China. The publication 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.

Overall, between 2020 and 2025, the difference in gas supply data between the two countries' agencies amounted to $687.2 million. In January-May 2026, the discrepancy was also significant, but this time the opposite occurred: Uzbekistan reported higher export volumes than China. The difference was $63.3 million.

Theoretically, some gas could have been supplied to other countries, such as Tajikistan or Kyrgyzstan. However, according to Kyrgyz statistics, no Uzbek gas was supplied there in January-April. Tajikistan does not disclose gas import volumes, but in previous years these figures were negligible.

Source: www.gazeta.uz