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Economy

Tajikistan’s trade deficit reached $6.31 billion in nine months as imports grew 40.8%

Imports of $8.48 billion ran 3.9 times above exports of $2.17 billion in January-September, by the Statistics Agency’s figures as Asia-Plus presented them on Tuesday, and the deficit widened from about $4.19 billion a year earlier. China took 30.5% of exports and supplied 28% of imports, with Russia, Kazakhstan and Switzerland next.

By CAW Staff21 October 2026
Horizontal bar chart of Tajikistan's trade turnover with its five largest partners in January to September 2026 in billions of dollars: China 3.04 highlighted, Russia 1.89, Kazakhstan 1.13, Uzbekistan 0.61, Iran 0.42.

Foreign trade turnover reached $10.65 billion in the nine months, 35.6% or almost $2.8 billion more than a year earlier, the agency under the president reported in the infographic Asia-Plus published at 08:00 Dushanbe time. Exports rose 18.4%, by $337.1 million, imports 40.8%, by $2.46 billion, and the country traded with 129 states, ten of them in the CIS, whose share was $4.12 billion or 38.7% against $6.53 billion for the rest of the world.

Mineral products carried the export growth, up 43.8% or $250.4 million to $821.5 million, with precious stones and metals adding $188.6 million, textiles 30.4% and cotton fibre 28.8% to $107.6 million. Base metals went the other way, down 28.7% or $191.1 million, and the export structure now reads minerals 37.9%, base metals 21.8%, textiles 9%.

Imports grew where the roads and the factories are. Purchases of vehicles grew almost 1.8 times, by $634.1 million, machinery and equipment by 45.6% to $1.31 billion and base metals by 51.4% to over $1 billion. Mineral products rose 18% to $1.21 billion, within which 916,400 tonnes of oil products cost $858.4 million, 24.2% more in value, and over a million tonnes of wheat cost $266.7 million, 23.5% more.

Mineral products carried the export growth, up 43.8% or $250.4 million to $821.5 million, with precious stones and metals adding $188.6 million, textiles 30.4% and cotton fibre 28.8% to $107.6 million.

China was the first partner at $3.04 billion, up 53.1%, with exports to it of $662.6 million against imports of $2.38 billion, and Russia second at $1.89 billion, up 12.4%, with $118.1 million going out and $1.77 billion coming in. Kazakhstan followed at $1.13 billion, Uzbekistan at $607.3 million and Iran at $418.1 million.

By buyers, China took 30.5% of exports, Switzerland 23.5%, Uzbekistan 9.2%, Turkey 7%, Russia 5.4%, the Netherlands 5% and Belgium 4.3%. By suppliers, China gave 28%, Russia 20.9%, Kazakhstan 12.5%, Switzerland 6%, the United States 5.1% and Uzbekistan 4.8%, and the surpluses were with the Netherlands at $88 million, Belgium at $85.1 million, Afghanistan at $64.3 million and Turkey at $3.5 million. For every dollar exported, the agency’s figures give about $3.90 imported.

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