Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Between January and May 2025, Uzbekistan exported slightly more natural gas than it imported, according to the National Statistics Committee.

Over this period, the country’s gas imports fell by more than half, to US$285.5 million. In January, imports amounted to US$27.8 million, dropping sharply to US$8 million in February and just US$2.7 million in March. However, April saw a sudden rebound to US$112 million, and in May imports reached US$135 million.

Against this backdrop of shrinking imports, Uzbekistan’s exports surged, especially to China, where sales rose by 62.7 percent year‑on‑year to US$288 million over the five months. Deliveries to China amounted to US$21.8 million in January, US$20.2 million in February, US$52.3 million in March, US$105.4 million in April and US$88.3 million in May.

Chinese customs data, however, paint a slightly different picture. According to Beijing’s figures, Uzbekistan’s gas exports to China totaled US$261.85 million in January–May 2025—a more than 70 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Chinese statistics also highlight a steep month‑on‑month rise: imports of Uzbek gas into China jumped from US$72.24 million in April to US$118.78 million in May, marking a 64.4 percent increase over the previous month and nearly 40 percent growth year‑on‑year.