Baku, Azerbaijan, Apr. 19
By Fakhri Vakilov – Trend:
The foreign trade turnover of Uzbekistan in January-March 2019 amounted to $9.4 billion and increased by $2.01 billion or 27.2 percent more than in the corresponding period last year, Trend reports with reference to the State Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan.
Exports reached $ 4.13 billion (growth rate - 20.6 percent) of this number, and imports - $5.27 billion (growth rate - 32.9 percent). The foreign trade balance amounted to minus $1.14 billion.
In January-March 2019, Uzbekistan led trade relations with more than 150 countries of the world.
In January-March 2019, the number of enterprises engaged in the export of goods, compared with the same period last year, increased by 419 units, and their total number reached 2,400 units.
As a result of measures taken by the Government of Uzbekistan to strengthen cooperation with the CIS countries and comprehensive support for foreign trade, the share of mutual trade with the CIS member states in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover in January - March 2019 reached 33.9 percent ($3.18 billion) and the growth rate of foreign trade turnover was 17.4 percent.
The share of other countries in foreign trade turnover in January-March 2019 decreased by 2.8 percent and, compared to the same period last year, amounted to 66.1 percent.
The volume of exports of Uzbekistan in January-March 2019 amounted to $4.13 billion (an increase of 20.6 percent compared to the same period last year). The share of goods in the composition of exports reached 83.9 percent, of which energy carriers and petroleum products - 18.2 percent, textiles and textile products - 8.9 percent, food products - 6.0 percent, ferrous metals and products from them - 1, 7 percent, non-ferrous metals and products from them - 5.5 percent.
Exports excluding gold increased by 35.2 percent, reaching $ 2.9 billion.
Analysis of the dynamics of exports of goods and services also showed that in January-March 2019, compared with January-March 2018, the volume of exports of goods increased by $658.7 million and amounted to $3.46 billion. Exports of services reached $666.4 million.
The main partners in the export of goods and services in foreign trade were China (20.0 percent of total exports), Russia (13.6 percent), Kazakhstan (6.8 percent), Turkey (5.8 percent), Afghanistan (2,8 percent), Kyrgyzstan (2.8 percent) and Iran (1.3 percent).
The composition of the exported goods to these countries includes a group of energy carriers and petroleum products, chemical products and products from it, as well as food products.
If goods and services in January-March 2018 were exported to 125 countries, then in January-March 2019 - in 129.
The volume of exports of fruits and vegetables amounted to more than 308,800 tons and reached $178.5 million (growth rate - 68.5 percent).
In January-March 2019, exports of textile products amounted to $369.2 million and increased by 16.5 percent, which is 8.9 percent of total exports.
In January-March 2019, the volume of imports in Uzbekistan amounted to $5.27 billion (growth rate - 32.9 percent). The main share in its structure is occupied by machinery and equipment, including parts and accessories (42.5 percent), chemical products and products from it (13.0 percent), as well as ferrous metals and products from them (7.7 percent).
Analysis of the dynamics of imports of goods and services also showed that in January-March 2019, the volume of imports of goods increased by $1.26 billion and amounted to $4.78 billion. Imports of services reached $485.3 million.
In January-March 2019, goods and services from 132 countries were imported into Uzbekistan.
Five major partner countries (China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Korea and Turkey) in the total volume of imports have a share of 64.5 percent, which amounts to $3.4 billion.
The volume of imports of services in January-March 2019 amounted to $485.3 million or 9.2 percent of total imports and increased, compared to the same period last year, by 9.4 percent.
The main imports of services are tourism (travel), transport services, as well as financial, telecommunication, information and computer services.
In January-March 2019, the volume of imports of construction materials amounted to $291.3 million and increased, compared to the same period of 2018, by 11.4 percent. The share of imports of building materials in the total volume reached 5.5 percent.
Imports of building materials in January-March 2019, compared with the corresponding period of 2018, increased significantly. The growth in imports of construction materials is due to large-scale construction and reconstruction work in the country.
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