According to data released by the press service of Goskomstat, Uzbekistan imported over 73 thousand cars in 2023, reflecting a remarkable increase of 2.4 times compared to the previous year. Of particular note is the staggering surge in the import of vehicles from China, which soared by an impressive 5.2 times during the same period, contributing significantly to the overall import figures.
The total value of imports surged close to $1.8 billion, underscoring the substantial economic impact of this surge in automotive imports. Notably, the import of passenger cars from China witnessed a staggering increase of over five times, underscoring the growing dominance of Chinese automobiles in the Uzbek market. The total number of imported cars witnessed a robust growth of 2.42 times, reaching 73.2 thousand units annually, while the number of countries from where cars were imported decreased from 34 to 31.
Chinese cars accounted for a substantial portion of the total imports, amounting to 58 thousand units, which represents a remarkable 5.2-fold increase compared to 2022. Notably, China’s share in the overall import of cars surged from 36.8% to an overwhelming 79.3%. It is estimated that nearly half of the passenger cars imported from China are electric vehicles, with more than 20,000 electric cars imported to Uzbekistan in the span of ten months in 2023.
South Korea secured the second position in terms of car imports, with close to 11.5 thousand units imported, marking an annual growth rate of 22%. Meanwhile, the United States clinched the third spot, witnessing a four-fold increase in supplies, totaling up to 2.21 thousand cars.
Surprisingly, Kazakhstan and Russia, which collectively delivered 8.7 thousand cars in 2022, failed to secure a position in the top five import sources, signaling a significant shift in Uzbekistan’s automotive import dynamics.
Following behind with a considerable margin are Hong Kong, Japan, Germany, India, the United Arab Emirates, Great Britain, and other countries, collectively contributing just over 1.4 thousand cars to the total imports.
