Uzbekistan sees 64% surge in freight exports to Russia amid China payment issues

According to the cargo transport exchange ATI.SU., the third quarter saw a significant 71% year-on-year increase in requests for road freight transport from Uzbekistan, with Russia leading the demand. The rising trend comes as Russian importers encounter difficulties with payments for goods from China, pushing them to seek alternative sources, including Uzbekistan. Additionally, the demand for export transportation to Belarus and Kazakhstan nearly doubled during this period.

“We are witnessing a steady rise in demand for international transport, particularly to Russia. However, the increase is not as dramatic as the surge in freight transport from Kazakhstan to Russia, which is largely driven by the re-export of Chinese goods. In Uzbekistan, the growth seems to stem from a genuine increase in Uzbek products being supplied, as re-export from China through Uzbekistan is less convenient. Local banks are also not particularly supportive of such operations,” said Farid Vakhidov, the head of the local office of ATI.SU. “Russian importers' difficulties with making payments to Chinese suppliers have prompted them to explore other markets, including Uzbekistan.”

Despite a slowdown in the demand for import freight shipments to Uzbekistan in the second quarter, this trend did not continue into the third quarter. Between July and September, the number of requests for freight transport into Uzbekistan from other countries grew by one-third.

However, requests for cargo deliveries from Russia to Uzbekistan fell by 8% during the same period. Transport from Kazakhstan and Belarus remained steady, while the demand for shipments from China nearly doubled.