Uzbekistan's HRC imports decreased by 17.3 % in 2023

According to SteelRadar's analysis, Uzbekistan's HRC imports decreased by 17.3% yoy to 44,953 tonnes in 2023.

China ranked first in the list of countries from where Uzbekistan imported HRC.

There were no imports from Russia and Ukraine in 2023, but these two countries were the main suppliers in 2022. The last import from Russia was in January 2022.
In 2023, Uzbekistan's largest HRC supplier was China with 43,072 tonnes. China was followed by Germany with 1,190 tonnes and North Korea with 594 tonnes.
While the decline in imports from Russia and Ukraine could be related to a number of factors, such as the global economic recession and the war in Ukraine, it is also forcing Uzbekistan to diversify its HRC supply chain.

China remains Uzbekistan's most important HRC supplier. In total, China's trade with Uzbekistan has reached $9.45 billion since the beginning of 2023. This accounts for 21.1% of Uzbekistan's total foreign trade turnover. Compared to the corresponding period of 2022, the trade volume with China last year was $6.78 billion. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev held a meeting in Beijing in January 2024. Wang noted that China and Uzbekistan reached a record bilateral trade volume in 2023, and China has been Uzbekistan's largest trading partner for many years. Wang also pledged to deepen cooperation in areas such as energy, mining and infrastructure, as well as expand cooperation in green energy and digital trade.