Tajikistan's foreign trade grows 37.2% to $9.23 bln, deficit tops $5.3 bln

September 25, 2026 at 10:00 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Tajikistan's foreign trade turnover reached $9.23 billion in January–August 2026, up 37.2% year-on-year, according to the Statistics Agency. The trade deficit widened to $5.3 billion from $3.46 billion a year earlier, as imports grew 42.5% to $7.26 billion while exports rose 20.5% to $1.97 billion.

Key Facts

Tajikistan's trade deficit reached $5.3 billion in January–August 2026, up from $3.46 billion in the same period of 2025.
Imports totaled $7.26 billion, a 42.5% increase, while exports rose 20.5% to $1.97 billion.
Trade with CIS countries amounted to $3.61 billion (39.1% of total turnover), and trade with non-CIS countries reached $5.62 billion (60.9%).
Russia was Tajikistan's largest trading partner with $1.68 billion in turnover, followed by Kazakhstan at $1.02 billion.
Kazakhstan's exports rose 16% to $50.9 billion in January–July 2026, with a trade surplus of $14.0 billion.

Trade Balance Deterioration

Tajikistan's trade deficit widened to $5.3 billion in January–August 2026, compared with $3.46 billion a year earlier. Imports grew 42.5% to $7.26 billion, outpacing export growth of 20.5% to $1.97 billion. The import-to-export ratio reached nearly 3.7, meaning for every dollar of exports, Tajikistan imported about $3.7 worth of goods. The deficit with CIS countries was $2.84 billion, while the deficit with non-CIS countries stood at $2.45 billion.

Export and Import Structure

Mineral products led exports at $700.1 million, followed by precious and semi-precious stones and metals at $519 million, and base metals at $433.1 million. Exports of mineral products rose 1.5 times, or by $229.9 million, while precious metals exports increased by $186.4 million. Imports were driven by vehicles (up 1.7 times), machinery and equipment (up 37.5%), and base metals (up 1.6 times). Petroleum product imports totaled $696.6 million and wheat imports $238.5 million in the eight-month period.

Trading Partners

Russia remained Tajikistan's top trading partner with $1.68 billion in turnover, of which Tajik exports were $106.2 million and imports $1.57 billion. Kazakhstan ranked second with $1.02 billion in trade, including $70.3 million in Tajik exports and $950.5 million in imports. Trade with Uzbekistan reached $517.4 million, with Belarus $149.8 million, and with Kyrgyzstan $44.3 million. Kazakhstan's own trade data for January–July 2026 showed exports up 16% to $50.9 billion and imports up 4.3% to $36.9 billion, yielding a $14.0 billion surplus.