Uzbekistan resumed natural gas exports to China, according to the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China.
The agency reported that Uzbekistan resumed gas exports in April after a three-month hiatus. The country exported gas worth $40.47 million in April.
Uzbekistan exported gas worth $90.5 million in May, according to the Statistical Agency under the President of Uzbekistan. The agency did not reveal the destinations of the gas shipments.
Following the meeting between President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Chinese President Xi Jinping, it was noted that the two sides would work together to ensure the stable operation of the China-Central Asia gas pipeline and deliveries in accordance with the agreed plan.
There is a significant discrepancy between the data on gas exports from Uzbekistan to China reported by the two sides. Uzbekistan reported gas exports worth $910.9 million by the end of 2022, while China reported gas imports from Uzbekistan at $1.07 billion, which is 18.2% higher than the Uzbek figure. Energy Minister Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov explained that China includes Turkmen gas transit in its data, but this does not fully account for the difference.
The President issued a decree in mid-May to introduce a unified automated system for gas movement in Uzbekistan. He also ordered to install electronic meters at all gas intake and delivery points by 1 July and to link them with the tax authorities' database. Moreover, a system will be set up to collect data on gas and oil contracts. However, foreign companies, which own more than half of the oil and gas fields, are exempt from the new metering requirements.
