Why is this important
The sharp rise in propane exchange prices directly affects fuel costs for some drivers and businesses. Changing the market structure – a decrease in the share of domestic gas and an increase in imports – increases the price sensitivity of the domestic market. In conditions of limited supply, even short-term price hikes can quickly be transmitted to the retail segment.
What happened
- Propane in Uzbekistan has increased by 7% in one day and by 15% since the beginning of the year.
- On January 8, the exchange price of liquefied gas exceeded 9.27 million soums per ton, having increased by 28% in less than a month.
- The Committee for the Development of Competition and Consumer Protection reported that the price increase is due to a change in the supply structure and an increase in the share of imported products in exchange trading.
Numbers and facts
- In 2025, 358 thousand tons of liquefied gas were sold through exchange trading, of which 61% was local products and 39% was imported.
- In January-July, the share of domestic propane in the domestic market averaged up to 80%, however, it decreased to 35% in December 2025, and to 10% in the first 10 days of January.
- The starting price of domestic propane last year was within 7 million soums per ton, while imported propane was around 8 million soums.
- The difference between the initial and selling prices of local and imported products reaches up to 40%.
- Due to the increase in starting import prices, today the average price of 1 ton of liquefied gas is about 9.5 million soums, which is 20% higher than the December level.
- In Uzbekistan, 11% of vehicles use liquefied gas, while only 5% of all sold automotive fuel comes from propane.
Context
- Propan prices are increasingly being formed through imports and increased demand in the domestic market.
- Reducing the share of domestic products reduces the effect of previously existing restrictions on the starting price.
- This makes the market more vulnerable to external price fluctuations and sharp increases in demand.
- Against the backdrop of the current situation, the antimonopoly body has introduced constant monitoring of prices at gas stations and called on not to disseminate information about retail prices to avoid the formation of a single price in the market.
