Tajikistan seeks new fuel suppliers and routes as diesel prices rise
Tajikistan is negotiating petroleum product supplies with Kazakhstan, China, Turkmenistan, Iran and Belarus as it seeks to stabilize its domestic fuel market. Diesel prices have risen from 10.40 somoni to 16–18 somoni per liter, increasing pressure on transport and infrastructure costs.
Dushanbe moves to diversify fuel imports
Tajikistan’s government is exploring alternative suppliers and transport routes for petroleum products as rising global fuel prices put pressure on the domestic market. According to Interfax, the authorities want to secure uninterrupted supplies of fuels and lubricants amid instability in global energy markets, including disruption linked to fighting in the Middle East.
The initiative covers gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied gas and other petroleum products. President Emomali Rahmon instructed the responsible agencies on July 28 to take measures to maintain stable fuel prices, accelerate the organization of petroleum product and liquefied gas deliveries, and meet domestic demand. A working group has also been created to develop measures for supplying the transport sector with diesel and other fuels.
Kazakhstan and China emerge as priority partners
Expanding cooperation with Kazakhstan is one of the government’s priorities. Rahmon and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev discussed the possibility of increasing deliveries of Kazakh petroleum products to Tajikistan during talks in Astana on July 29. The two sides also considered broader trade cooperation and the development of transport and logistics links, which will be important if fuel volumes increase.
On the same day, Tajik Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma met Chinese Ambassador Guo Zhijun to discuss possible gasoline and diesel supplies from China. Tajikistan’s Energy Ministry has also reported negotiations with Turkmenistan, Iran and Belarus. The consultations cover prospective volumes, prices and import conditions, but no supply commitments or delivery schedules were disclosed.
Diesel increase raises infrastructure costs
The search for additional suppliers follows a sharp increase in the domestic price of diesel. At an expanded Transport Ministry meeting on July 10, officials said higher global oil prices had lifted diesel prices in Tajikistan from 10.40 somoni to 16–18 somoni per liter. Interfax reported an exchange rate of 9.22 Tajik somoni to $1, although the ministry did not provide a dollar comparison for the fuel prices.
The Transport Ministry said more expensive diesel affects not only freight and passenger transport but also the construction, repair and maintenance of roads. A substantial share of Tajikistan’s infrastructure projects is financed through concessional loans and grants from international development partners. Higher energy costs could therefore change project budgets, implementation schedules and economic returns.
The ministry’s forecasting and economic analysis department, working with other agencies, has been instructed to prepare a detailed action plan for uninterrupted fuel supplies. For producers, construction contractors and transport operators, the outcome will depend on whether negotiations produce competitively priced volumes and workable logistics. For prospective suppliers, Tajikistan offers additional demand, but commercial terms and the cost of moving fuel into the landlocked market will remain decisive.