Uzbekistan and China Gas Trade Statistics Discrepancy
China Imports $154 Million Worth of Gas from Uzbekistan, 2.6 Times Higher than Reported
According to the Chinese side, Uzbekistan has exported nearly $154 million worth of gas to China in the first five months of 2024. This figure is significantly higher than the data provided by Uzbekistan, which reported sales of only $59.9 million during the same period.
The Statistics Agency of Uzbekistan revealed that gas sales to China amounted to $21 million in January, $5.7 million in February, $18.7 million in March, $6.9 million in April, and $7.6 million in May. These figures add up to a total of $59.9 million worth of gas exports from Uzbekistan.
Since the start of the pandemic, Uzbekistan has ceased its natural gas exports to Russia, focusing solely on delivering gas to China. A one-time delivery of $1 million worth of gas was made to Kyrgyzstan in February.
Data from the General Administration of Customs of China shows that $153.87 million worth of gas was imported from Uzbekistan from January to May of this year, indicating a significant discrepancy between the two countries’ reported figures.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan has seen a substantial increase in gas imports, totaling $643 million in the first five months of 2024, which is 4.2 times higher than the same period last year.
The calculations by Gazeta.uz highlight that the difference in reported gas figures between China and Uzbekistan was $159.5 million in 2022 and $49.5 million in 2023, with Uzbekistan consistently reporting lower numbers. The discrepancy in gas import figures brings into question the accuracy and transparency of bilateral trade data between the two countries.
