Uzbekistan Enters Turkish Marine Fuel Market With First May Shipment
Uzbekistan entered the Turkish marine fuel market in May by supplying 74.74 tonnes of product, according to official data released by Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority.
The shipment marks a notable pivot for Tashkent, given that zero maritime fuel was dispatched to Turkish ports during April. While the volume positions Uzbekistan 21st among foreign crude and refined product exporters to Turkey, it underscores a broader push by Central Asian economies to diversify export routes.
Turkey imported roughly four mln tonnes of petroleum products overall during the reporting period, relying predominantly on Russia, which supplied over 1.6 mln tonnes. Kazakhstan secured the second position with 515,700 tonnes, followed by the United States at 348,800 tonnes, Iraq at 327,300 tonnes and Guyana at 292,500 tonnes.
Rising petroleum exports
The modest maritime entry coincides with an overarching surge in Uzbekistan’s external petroleum trade. State statistics indicate that the republic’s foreign shipments of refined petroleum products surged by 69.8% over the first five months of the year, generating a total export value of $357.7 mln. Simultaneously, bilateral trade turnover between Tashkent and Ankara climbed to $1.2 bn by the beginning of June, outperforming the $1.1 bn recorded during the corresponding period last year.
Domestically, however, primary extraction figures reveal mixed operational trends across the national energy sector. Crude oil extraction across domestic fields dropped from 270,800 tonnes to 261,900 tonnes by June 1. Coal mining experienced an even sharper contraction, falling from 2.5 mln tonnes down to 1.6 mln tonnes year-on-year.
Despite declining raw extraction rates, domestic processing facilities expanded output for key refined outputs. Production figures for diesel fuel climbed from 442,000 tonnes to 476,000 tonnes, while automotive petrol output rose from 492,400 tonnes to 502,200 tonnes.
To satisfy rising domestic demand driven by broader industrial expansion, the nation has concurrently accelerated foreign energy purchases. Import spending on foreign petrol spiked by 85.1% to reach $373.4 mln, while diesel imports expanded by 2% to total $226.8 mln.
