Uzbekistan increased its natural gas imports from Russia and Turkmenistan to a record level in June.

According to data from the National Statistics Committee, Uzbekistan imported significantly more natural gas than it exported during the January-June 2026 period, The Caspian Post reports.

Over the first six months of the year, natural gas imports from Russia and Turkmenistan rose by 41.4% to $971.7 million. Of this total, $86.3 million accounted for liquefied natural gas (propane), with purchases increasing 3.6 times compared with the previous period.

After gas imports worth $167.6 million in January, volumes declined sharply to $34.6 million in February. However, imports recovered in March, reaching $158.3 million, followed by $147.8 million in April and $216.4 million in May. In June, gas purchases reached a new record for the year, totaling $247 million.

At the same time, Uzbekistan’s gas exports declined by 34.4% since the beginning of the year, falling to $232.9 million.

Gas supplies were completely halted in January and resumed only in February, when exports amounted to $7.1 million. In March, exports increased more than fivefold compared with February, reaching $29.4 million. In April, they tripled again to $92.7 million. In May, export volumes decreased to $73.5 million, and in June they fell further to $30 million.

However, data from the National Statistical Committee differs significantly from figures provided by China’s General Administration of Customs. According to Chinese customs data, Uzbekistan exported $218.6 million worth of gas from January to June this year. The difference between the two sets of statistics exceeds $14.2 million.

Chinese customs data also showed a decline in natural gas deliveries from Uzbekistan by nearly a quarter. In June, exports totaled $79.03 million, down 23.7% compared with the same month last year. Compared with January-June 2025, when exports amounted to $368.5 million, gas deliveries have decreased by more than 40%.

Russia remains China’s largest natural gas supplier, exporting $4.65 billion worth of gas to the country since the beginning of the year. Turkmenistan ranks second with $4.01 billion in supplies. They are followed by Myanmar with $741.9 million, Kazakhstan with $442.3 million, and Uzbekistan with $218.67 million.