Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Takeoff is no longer expected in the Russian direction. Data from the international "ATI.SU Freight Exchange" show that the Uzbek market is coming into balance after last year’s rise caused by anti-Russian sanctions.

The number of applications for the transportation of goods to Uzbekistan from January to June increased by 77% compared to the same period of last year. Demand for transportation from Russia grew by 75%, Kazakhstan, Belarus and China also added significantly. Freight rates increased by 8% over the same period.

At the same time, in the second quarter, the dynamics slowed down - compared to the first quarter of 2023, the number of applications for cargo transportation to Uzbekistan decreased by 31%, including a decrease observed in the Russian direction (-30%).

In export transportation, growth stopped even earlier. For the first half of the year, the number of applications placed on the Exchange from Uzbekistan decreased by 4% compared to the same period last year. In the Russian direction, the reduction was 8%, but the demand for transportation to Kazakhstan and Belarus, on the contrary, slightly increased. At the same time, rates for export cargo transportation showed an increase of 13%.

“In general, the international transportation market is gradually regaining balance after last year’s takeoff, which was largely provoked by anti-Russian sanctions, as well as the restructuring of logistics and production chains that began after that. In any case, we do not expect a new surge in the Russian direction in the near future, and a slight correction may follow. On the other hand, other areas, primarily Kazakhstan and China, can become growth drivers,” comments Farid Vakhidov, director of the representative office of the international ATI.SU Freight Exchange in Uzbekistan.