Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Problems faced by Russian importers in making payments for Chinese supplies have led them to seek suppliers in Uzbekistan. According to the international freight exchange ATI.SU, the demand for freight transport from Uzbekistan to Russia increased by 64% in the third quarter.

In the third quarter of 2024, the number of requests for cargo transport from Uzbekistan placed on the ATI.SU freight exchange rose by 71% compared to the same period last year. A significant increase in demand for export transportation began in the second quarter; however, the progress compared to that quarter was not very substantial (+6%).

This trend is largely driven by the most significant Russian direction, where the demand for freight transport grew by 64% compared to 2023 and by 8% compared to the second quarter. Meanwhile, Belarus and Kazakhstan showed impressive dynamics with a nearly twofold increase in demand for export transport to these destinations, albeit with smaller absolute figures.

“In international transport, we observe a steady growth in demand for the Russian direction, but it is not as extreme as in the transport from Kazakhstan to Russia. In Kazakhstan, this is primarily driven by the re-export of Chinese goods, whereas in Uzbekistan, we are witnessing a real increase in the supply of Uzbek products. This is partly because re-exporting from China through Uzbekistan is not particularly convenient, and the country’s banks are not very accommodating regarding such operations. Meanwhile, the payment issues faced by Russian importers for Chinese supplies are forcing them to shift to other markets, including finding suppliers in Uzbekistan,” comments Farid Vakhidov, director of the ATI.SU international freight exchange representative office in Uzbekistan.

The decline in demand for import freight transport observed in the second quarter did not continue. On the contrary, in the third quarter, compared to the second quarter, the number of requests for transport to Uzbekistan from other countries increased by 34%.

Additionally:

- The number of requests for cargo delivery from Russia decreased by 8% compared to the same period in 2023.

- Transport from Kazakhstan and Belarus remained at the same level.

- Demand for cargo delivery from China roughly doubled.