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Uzbekneftegaz is negotiating with China National Petroleum Corporation to begin importing petrol and diesel fuel into Uzbekistan, the company’s deputy chairman said on 30 October, as domestic fuel prices climb sharply and the state energy firm seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian supplies.
Farid Muminov, deputy chairman of Uzbekneftegaz’s management board, told a press conference that the two sides are discussing deliveries of AI-92 grade petrol and higher octane variants, as well as diesel. He said final volumes would depend on domestic market demand and that negotiations are continuing.
The talks follow a 20 October meeting between Uzbekneftegaz chairman Abduqani Sanginov and a CNPC delegation led by company president Zhou Xinhui, at which the parties discussed the possibility of long-term petroleum product supplies for Uzbekistan’s domestic market.
Beyond finished fuels, Uzbekneftegaz is also looking to increase purchases of crude oil and gas condensate from China for processing at the Bukhara oil refinery, Muminov said.
Diesel prices up 42% since January
The push to diversify comes against a backdrop of steep retail price increases. According to data from Statistikalar.uz, diesel fuel in Tashkent has risen 42.3% in price since the start of 2026. As of 26 October, a litre of diesel at the capital’s filling stations ranged from 15,000 to 21,000 soums. At Carvon stations — the retail network affiliated with Uzbekneftegaz — the price stood at 18,500 soums per litre. Data from Autostrada.uz shows that Carvon was selling diesel at 13,700 soums per litre in July, meaning the price at those outlets has risen roughly 35% in three months.
Uzbekneftegaz cited the need to protect consumers from supply disruptions as the primary justification for seeking new import sources.
Russia dominates but supply has been uneven
Russia remains by far the largest supplier of petroleum products to Uzbekistan. According to Orion Markets data covering October 2025 through September 2026, Russia accounted for 75% of Uzbekistan’s light fuel and petrol imports. Kazakhstan was a distant second at 8.8%, followed by the UAE at 4.7%, Belarus at 3.4% and Iran at 2.8%.
Russian diesel deliveries have been inconsistent. In September 2026, Uzbekistan imported approximately 26,000 tonnes of Russian diesel after a one-month gap in supplies. S&P Global has previously estimated that Uzbekistan typically purchases more than 10,000 barrels of Russian diesel per day by rail.
Despite the September resumption, overall diesel imports fell sharply over the first nine months of 2026: down 27.7% in value terms to $189.1 million and down 34.9% in volume to 215,200 tonnes compared with the same period a year earlier. That contraction in supply, combined with rising retail prices, appears to be the immediate driver behind the CNPC discussions.