Uzbekistan’s international trade in 2022 reached $50.01 billion, a $7.84 billion increase, or 18.6%, compared to the previous year, the Statistics Agency said in a report.

Exports increased by 15.9% - up to $19.31 billion, import - up to $30.67 billion (+20.4%). The trade deficit surpassed $11.39 billion, which is 28.7% more than in 2021 (-$8.85 billion). It would have been even higher if not for the export of gold and a positive balance in services.

Gold exports continued, in December topping $582.7 million. Gold ranks third (21.3%, or $4.11 billion) in the exports after industrial goods (23%, $4.44 billion) and services (20.5%, $3.96 billion).

Exports

Exports excluding gold in value terms increased by 21.1% to $15.2 billion. This was achieved mainly due to the growth in sales of textile products by 8.6% - up to $3.18 billion, vegetables and fruits - $1.15 billion (+19.7%), gas - $910.9 million (+25 .4%), oil and oil products — $168.1 million (2.1 times) fertilizers — $409.9 million (+18.3%), grain — $357.7 million (+19.7%) and other items.

It is worth noting separately the growth in exports of power generating machines and equipment by 5.1 times ($172.9 million) and non-special machinery and equipment for industry, machinery parts - by 2.8 times ($81.6 million), as well as tobacco and tobacco products. products - 3.7 times ($66.7 million) and drinks - 2.4 times ($44.4 million).

Deliveries of cars for export fell to 355.9 million dollars (-6.9%), non-ferrous metals - to 1.54 billion dollars (-4.4%)

Textile exports accounted for 16.5% in the structure of total exports. Most of the production is still yarn (44.4%), but its share has decreased in favor of ready-made knitwear and garments (29.2%). The geography of supplies has expanded from 65 to 73 countries.

For Uzbek textiles, the Russian market remains the main one, where products worth $1.26 billion (+38.9%) were exported. Deliveries to Turkey increased by 12.6%, to $519.1 million, to Kyrgyzstan, to $513.4 million (+28%), while they fell more than 2-fold to China, from $636.3 million to $274 million.

The volume of exports of fruits and vegetables in 2022 topped 1.74 million tons and reached $1.15 million (+18.5%).

In January-December, the share of fruits and vegetables in total exports amounted to 5.9%. The main export markets are Russia ($486.7 million), Kazakhstan ($216 million), China ($104.6 million) and Pakistan ($101.2 million).

Imports

As for imports, food supplies remain high: grains and products from them - $1.07 million (+28.9%), various food products and drugs - $477.8 million (+67.6%), sugar, sugar and honey products - $558.9 million (+52.9%), meat and meat products - $318.3 million (+69.8%).

Imports of oil and oil products also increased - $1.27 billion (+9.8%), coal, coke and briquettes - $121.8 million, gas - $281.9 million (+82.5%), while supplies electricity fell to $121.9 million (-20.2%).

Imported medical and pharmaceutical products worth $1.6 billion (+0.1%), plastics - $836.6 million (+35.4%), iron and steel - $2.51 billion (+20.2%) , cars — $2.13 billion (+13.9%), essential oils, resinoids and perfumes, toilet preparations, polishes and detergents — $363.5 million (19%), metal products — $730.8 million dollars (+26.5%), textile yarn, fabric and finished products - 730.8 million dollars (26.5%), paper, cardboard and paper products - 466.1 (+26.1%).