A meeting of members of the inter-parliamentary cooperation groups of Uzbekistan and Oman took place in an online format, during which matters of further strengthening bilateral dialogue were discussed.

The parties reviewed prospects for expanding interaction in trade, economic, investment, transport, tourism, cultural and humanitarian spheres.

It was noted that relations between...

Diplomatic representatives of Uzbekistan in Poland held a meeting with the leadership of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) of Poland, during which prospects for expanding interaction in the fields of historical memory, archival affairs, and museum activities were discussed. This was reported by the Dunyo news agency.

The meeting, organized...

The size of the permanent population of Uzbekistan as of 1 April 2026 was 38,382,685 people. This was reported by the National Statistics Committee.

Compared to the same period in 2025, the indicator increased by 1.8%, which testifies to the ongoing demographic growth in the country.

According to official data, the number...

On 14 April 2026, a meeting took place between the Special Representative of the President of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, and the Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies and the Third Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Abdul Hai Qanit.

During the negotiations, the parties...

A delegation from the Kashkadarya region of Uzbekistan performed a working visit to Belarus, during which the parties identified directions for long-term strategic interaction. This was reported by the Dunyo news agency.

As part of the trip, regional representatives became acquainted with the activities of livestock complexes and trade facilities in...

A meeting took place in Abu Dhabi between the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Jamshid Khodjaev, and the Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who participates actively in developing the economic potential of the country.

According to the Uzbek side,...

Inflation is also expected higher than previous estimates — 6.8 per cent instead of 6.5. The International Monetary Fund recommends again to cancel tax and duty incentives, increase excise tax on a range of goods, and ensure a reduction in the ratio of tax revenues to GDP.

The International Monetary Fund...

As of 1 April 2026, there are 577.2 thousand active enterprises and organizations in Uzbekistan. This was reported by the National Statistics Committee. Of the total number, 417.3 thousand, or 72.3%, are small enterprises and micro-firms.

In the regional breakdown, the highest concentration of business is observed in the city of...

On 15 April, the official launch of the SAGE program, aimed at supporting and developing entrepreneurship in the spheres of creative and green economy, took place at the U-ENTER Innovation Centre in Tashkent.

The initiative is implemented with the support of the Virtual Accelerate organization and the Government of Switzerland in...

Uzbekistan and Korea agreed to expand cooperation in the field of public finance management and the implementation of digital technologies in budget processes.

A meeting took place between Abdulaziz Khaydarov, Chairman of the Treasury Service Committee under the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, and Yoon Jong-shik, Deputy Director General...

Measures are also being taken to expand the scale of 2D and 3D seismic surveys and launch drilling operations at new sites.

On 14 April, Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the measures being implemented to ensure stable production indicators and increase financial and economic efficiency in the oil and gas industry,...

Over 3.5 months, the President of Uzbekistan held a sixth meeting on the oil and gas industry, where he discussed the results of Uzbekneftegaz's work in the first quarter. The company reported a growth in gas reserves and presented a program to increase its extraction by 6.7 million cubic metres...

Canadian energy company Condor Energies Inc., which operates in Central Asia and focuses on energy transition projects, presented updated data on its activities in Uzbekistan, recording a new corporate high in production levels.

After launching the new Kumli-46 horizontal well, the company exceeded the figure of 14,000 barrels of oil equivalent...

Russian retail chain Magnit has begun direct purchases of farm products from Uzbekistan, launching vegetable supplies using the agro-aggregator model.

The new cooperation format is aimed at ensuring a stable assortment of fresh vegetables and fruits during periods of seasonal shortage of domestic products.

The first batch consisted of 17 tonnes of...

The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, received a delegation led by the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of the Russian Federation, Sergey Kiriyenko. The parties discussed the implementation of the project to build the first nuclear power plant and cooperation in the sphere of the...

Direct air service between Tashkent and Yerevan may be restored for the first time in recent decades as early as May 2026. It is planned that regular passenger flights will be performed with a frequency of once a week on Boeing 737 type aircraft.

The launch of the new route is...

The Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, Davron Vakhabov, stated there is significant export potential for the Afghan automotive market, noting the possibility of forming a new direction for Uzbek business.

According to Chamber estimates, the volume of potential exports to Afghanistan could reach up to 100...

In 2025, the average number of passenger cars per 100 households in Uzbekistan was 61 units. This is evidenced by data from sample household surveys of the National Statistics Committee.

The indicator demonstrates steady growth over recent years. In 2010, there were 21 cars per 100 households, in 2015 — 42,...

The volume of import road freight transport to Uzbekistan demonstrates steady growth and outpaces the dynamics of export directions. This is stated in a report by the ATI.SU logistics platform.

According to the data, in the first quarter of 2026, the number of applications for the delivery of goods to Uzbekistan...

Since 14 April, Uzbekistan Airways has begun regular flights from Tashkent to Tel Aviv. Flights are performed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. From 3 May, flights from Tashkent via Samarkand to Tel Aviv and back on Sundays will be added.

Uzbekistan Airways resumed regular flights on the Tashkent – Tel Aviv...

UzAuto Motors increased sales by 12 per cent, but competitors grow faster: BYD by 93 per cent, Kia by 65. BYD Yuan Up sales grew 5.2 times over the year.

Automotive industry enterprises of Uzbekistan sold 91,088 cars in the first quarter of 2026 — 21 per cent more than a...

The starting price of the seven-storey building has risen to 187 billion soum. In November, a buyer offered 182.47 billion soum for it.

The State Assets Management Agency has again put up for sale the building of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Economy in Tashkent, according to E-auksion.

The...

Container turnover of all Russian seaports in March 2026 increased by 0.5% compared to the figures for March last year.

According to data from the SeaNews PortStat online analytical service, imports increased by 17% and coastal trade by 15.3%. Exports decreased by 23%. Transit volumes handled were 6.3% higher than in...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its traditional World Economic Outlook on 14 April. In it, the forecast for Russian GDP for 2026 was raised by 0.3 percentage points to 1.1%. Instead of the decline in oil prices expected in January, the IMF now expects them to rise to an...

On Wednesday, 15 April, the Russian stock market continues consolidation in a wide range of 2700-2800 points in search of ideas. Expectations of de-escalation in the region and lower oil quotes are restraining growth, strengthening the influence of sanction and geopolitical risks. Investors' attention is shifting to individual corporate stories...

After a March increase due to the conflict in the Middle East, prices for Russian wheat on world markets began to decline. Currently, the export value is $238 per tonne: the value decreased by 0.8% for the week and 5.2% year-on-year. This is due to a large volume of supply....

Investments in China's manufacturing industry remain stable, continuing to expand both in scale and total volume. Preliminary assessments show: the current volume of such investments exceeds 15 trillion yuan (~176 trillion roubles), which accounts for almost a third of the country's total fixed asset investments.

In recent years, large-scale equipment renewal policies have come into force, making investments in machinery purchase a key driver of investment growth.

Key indicators:

· In 2025, subsidies for large equipment renewal, financed by ultra-long-term special treasury bonds, reached 188 billion yuan (~2.2 trillion roubles);

· These funds mobilised more than 1 trillion yuan (~11.7 trillion roubles) in total investments.

However, the growth rate of investments in the manufacturing industry shows a downward trend:

· 2025: growth of 0.6% in annual terms;

· 2024: growth of 9.2%;

· A slowdown of 8.6 percentage points in a year.

The unevenness of dynamics across sectors remains very noticeable.

A clear regional divergence is also observed in the geography of investments:

· Western China: average growth in manufacturing investment ~6% in 2025;

· Eastern China: average growth ~2%.

Investment growth in large industrial provinces such as Jiangsu and Guangdong has significantly decreased, reflecting a deep adjustment in the manufacturing sectors of several key regions. At the same time, investments in territories such as Chongqing, as well as Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces, show confident growth, fueled by the transfer of industrial capacities and political support.

Such divergence likely illustrates the influence of several underlying factors. The intensification of trade contradictions and large-scale economic and trade restrictions had a significant impact on manufacturers' confidence, expectations, and investment decisions.

Over the past year, the USA put pressure on China not only through tariffs but also through non-tariff measures, which significantly disrupted business entities' expectations, forcing many of them to take a wait-and-see position regarding investment expansion and production capacity building.

The growing volatility of global trade policy increased uncertainty, making it difficult for export-oriented enterprises to forecast accurately and forcing them to postpone investments in new capacities.

Weak domestic demand is restraining the growth of investments in China's manufacturing industry. The real estate market, in particular, remains in a deep stage of adjustment, and both raw material producers at the "top" end of the chain and consumer goods producers at the "bottom" end, linked to the real estate industry, face shrinking demand.

In 2025, China's total direct foreign investment in all industries exceeded $170 billion (~12.6 trillion roubles), with non-financial direct investment accounting for more than 80%.

Real economy sectors dominate external expansion, while new sectors—high technology, green energy, the digital economy—are becoming key investment targets.

Chinese enterprises are increasingly expanding their presence towards higher links in the global value chain. The acceleration of external expansion objectively creates a "diversion effect" for domestic investments in the manufacturing industry.

The increase in overdue accounts receivable affects economic turnover.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics show:

· Accounts receivable of Chinese industrial enterprises above the designated size reached 28.4 trillion yuan (~333 trillion roubles)—a record level;

· The average collection period for accounts receivable at such enterprises increased to 70.4 days (compared to 66.7 days in the same period of 2024);

· For manufacturing enterprises above the designated size, the average period is even longer—71.8 days.

The slowdown in collection of accounts receivable and the growing problem of non-payments have become an important factor affecting the investment cycle.

China is in a period of deep economic and social transformation. Both changing times and practical realities require the transformation of the country's macroeconomic policy, and the transformation of investment policy is a key lever in this framework.

Current policy places strong emphasis on linking investment expansion with efforts to stimulate consumption, seeking to promote mutually beneficial interaction between them. However, in the circulation of the national economy and in political practice, such interaction is an extremely complex process, whereas expanding consumption to stimulate investment is a more direct path.

Therefore, the adoption of more policies from households to stimulate consumption and, as a consequence, investment is actually more direct and contributes to a healthy cycle.

"We often talk about optimizing the business environment, but in my opinion, the most fundamental and decisive aspect of the business environment is ensuring that enterprises 'have business opportunities and can make a profit'. Only under this condition will other improvements produce a multiplicative effect and truly mobilise private investment," notes the expert.

In 2025, China implemented more active macroeconomic policies, raising the budget deficit ratio and increasing the issuance of ultra-long-term special treasury bonds and local government special bonds.

Government investments were substantial. Nevertheless, stabilising investment and growth remains a complex task. One of the main reasons is that today's government investments are very different from past ones. Now they have the typical characteristics of "functional investments" rather than simple "growth-oriented investments".

During the period of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in China, government investments often had the characteristics of growth-oriented investments, capable of stimulating both investment and production.

For example, large infrastructure projects such as railways, highways, and airports once gave a strong effect. In the historical conditions of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, the central government focused on large infrastructure projects, while local authorities carried out development of smaller infrastructure.

As soon as the main transport infrastructure was created, local authorities developed industrial parks and new urban areas around it. These developments required accompanying infrastructure, and industrial parks generated cycles of enterprises, industries, and employment, while new urban areas created cycles of population, consumption, and services.

Today, however, China's industrialisation and urbanisation have entered a relatively stable stage. Government investments have moved from the category of a long-term structural factor to the category of a short-term factor. Even if transport infrastructure continues to improve, local authorities are unlikely to build a large number of new industrial parks or new urban areas.

In new historical conditions, investment policy must be better integrated with reform policy. More reform-oriented policies are needed to activate investments, especially private ones. This includes:

· Simplifying regulatory procedures to reduce entry barriers;

· Strengthening intellectual property protection to stimulate innovation;

· Developing financial tools to support SMEs;

· Harmonising standards to facilitate interregional trade.

"Simply increasing 'functional investments' and expecting stabilisation of investment and the economy is not enough. Reforms are needed that will create conditions for private business to see opportunities and make a profit," the analyst emphasises.

For investors and enterprises, the current situation creates certain signals:

· Functional investments provide stability but do not replace growth;

· Regional imbalances open opportunities in western provinces;

· Business environment reforms may become a more significant driver than direct subsidies.

However, success will depend on the speed of reform implementation and the policy's ability to adapt to changing conditions.

Analysis of investment dynamics in China's manufacturing industry shows: the volume of investment does not equal the quality of growth. When 15 trillion yuan of investment gives only 0.6% of growth, and accounts receivable hit records, we are talking about structural rather than cyclical challenges. The main question is whether China can move from "investment for safety" to "investment for growth" without losing stability. Do you believe government investments should focus on social priorities or on stimulating private business? Share your opinion in the comments.

Reported by Kitay Segodnya (China).

Refined copper consumption in China shows no signs of reaching a peak and will increase annually by an average of 3.7% until 2035, stated Zuo Haoyen, director of non-ferrous metal market research at China Minmetals Corp., at a conference in Santiago. According to him, under the company's "most realistic" scenario,...