DUSHANBE, March 18, 2015, Asia-Plus — Over the first two months of this year, Tajikistan has imported 94,700 tons of oil products to a total amount of 67.3 million U.S. dollars, which is 31 percent fewer than in the same period last year, according to the Agency for Statistics under the President of Tajikistan.
In January-February 2014, Tajikistan imported 136,900 tons of oil products to a total amount of 114.3 million U.S. dollars.
In all, Tajikistan imported 579,800 tons of oil products last year, which was 204,000 tons more than in 2013 (Tajikistan reportedly imported 375,800 tons of oil products in 2013) and 206,100 tons more than in 2012 (373,700 tons).
Russia provides the bulk of Tajikistan’s fuel imports.
We will recall that energy ministries of Tajikistan and the Russian Federation have endorsed the indicative fuel balance for 2015. Under the indicative fuel balance endorsed for this year, Russia is expected to deliver 830,000 tons of oil products free of duty to Tajikistan this year.
Last year, Tajikistan reportedly imported only 576,000 tons of duty-free oil products from Russia though the indicative fuel balance for 2014, which provided for delivering 1 million tons of duty-free oil products to Tajikistan.
Tajikistan was exempted from paying Russian tariffs on oil and gas exports from 1995-2010 and Russia cancelled Tajikistan’s tax exemption on May 1, 2010 that resulted in gasoline prices rising in the country.
The agreement on duty-free Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan was signed between the governments of Russia and Tajikistan in Moscow on February 6, 2013
Under this agreement, the sides consider and endorse the indicative fuel balance for the next calendar before October 1 of each year. Fuels delivered in addition to the indicative fuel balance will be liable to export duty.
Russian oil products delivered to Tajikistan in the volumes not exceeding those agreed on indicative balance are not subject to re-export to the third countries.
