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Azer News, 17 January 2018

By Kamila Aliyeva

The volume of foreign trade turnover of Tajikistan in January-December 2017 amounted to $3.9 billion, thus showing an increase of 1.1 percent, according to the Statistics Agency under the President of Tajikistan.

The volume of exports in the reporting period increased by 33.3 percent compared to 2016. Export grew by $1.2 billion that is $299 million more than in 2016.

At the same time, the volume of imports in the past year decreased by 8.5 percent compared to 2016.

Last year, Tajikistan maintained foreign trade relations with 109 countries around the world.

Russia and Kazakhstan remain the main trading partners of Tajikistan. The volume of the Tajik-Russian turnover amounted to $936 million and the Tajik-Kazakh turnover - $838 million. The volume of trade with Russia decreased by 9.7 percent and with Kazakhstan, by contrast, increased by 24 percent.

Trade turnover with China declined by 33 percent to $591 million.

Bilateral trade with Uzbekistan has shown the highest growth -- 82 percent -- and exceeded $126 million.

Issues of building up trade and economic cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were discussed during the recent visit of Uzbek Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov to Dushanbe.

Tajikistan is a landlocked, Central Asian country that shares borders with Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Tajik exports are comprised mainly of aluminum, agricultural goods, and light industry.

The low level of product diversification and reliance upon natural resources makes the Tajik economy especially susceptible to volatile commodity prices.

The imports of energy resources and advanced manufacturing products, which arrive largely from China, Russia, and Kazakhstan, have resulted in a significant trade deficit.

Nevertheless, Tajikistan has taken steps to increase its global and regional integration through WTO accession in 2013 and by participating in the CIS free trade agreement.