The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Tajikistani global shipments during 2020. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Tajikistan.

1. Gems, precious metals: US$596.1 million (45.4% of total exports)
2. Cotton: $173.9 million (13.3%)
3. Ores, slag, ash: $158.2 million (12.1%)
4. Aluminum: $140.4 million (10.7%)
5. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $60.3 million (4.6%)
6. Mineral fuels including oil: $55.7 million (4.2%)
7. Other base metals: $32.4 million (2.5%)
8. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $17.3 million (1.3%)
9. Iron, steel: $11 million (0.8%)
10. Fruits, nuts: $10.9 million (0.8%)

Tajikistan’s top 10 exports accounted for 95.8% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Gems and precious metals was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 164% year over year since 2019 propelled principally by international gold sales. In second place for improving export sales was mineral fuels including oil which rose 56.5%. Tajikistan’s shipments of miscellaneous base metals posted the third-fastest gain in value up by 40.6% year over year.

The leading decliner among Tajikistan’s top 10 export categories was ores, slag and ash which fell -46.7%.

At the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, gold (45.3% of total) represents Tajikistan’s most valuable exported product followed by raw aluminum (10.4%), uncarded cotton (also 10.4%), lead ores and concentrates (5.9%), hydraulic cements (4.6%), zinc ores and concentrates (4.4%), electrical energy (4.2%), cotton yarn (2.8%) then miscellaneous ores and concentrates (1.1%).

The following types of Tajikistani product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Gems, precious metals: US$594.2 million (Up by 168.3% since 2019)
2. Cotton: $172.3 million (Down by -3%)
3. Ores, slag, ash: $157.2 million (Down by -46.8%)
4. Aluminum: $127.1 million (Down by -24.9%)
5. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: $49.5 million (Down by -12.5%)
6. Other base metals: $32.3 million (Up by 41.3%)
7. Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): $7.8 million (Up by 359.1%)
8. Gums, resins, other vegetable saps: $6 million (Down by -16.9%)
9. Raw hides, skins not furskins, leather: $2.8 million (Up by 6.9%)
10. Silk: $302,000 (Down by -36.8%)

Tajikistan has highly positive net exports in the international trade mostly for gold. In turn, these cashflows indicate Tajikistan’s strong competitive advantages under the gems and precious metals product category.

Overall, Tajikistan incurred a -$1.8 billion product trade deficit for 2020 down by -17.4% from -$2.2 billion in red ink one year earlier.

Below are exports from Tajikistan that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Tajikistan’s goods trail Tajikistani importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$471.7 million (Down by -15.4% since 2019)
2. Cereals: -$263.2 million (Up by 10.9%)
3. Iron, steel: -$231.4 million (Up by 7.7%)
4. Machinery including computers: -$212.6 million (Down by -14%)
5. Vehicles: -$211.2 million (Down by -27.3%)
6. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$121 million (Down by -28.7%)
7. Wood: -$120.7 million (Down by -5.2%)
8. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: -$114.4 million (Up by 7.7%)
9. Inorganic chemicals: -$106 million (Down by -17.3%)
10. Plastics, plastic articles: -$96.1 million (Down by -5.3%)

Tajikistan has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits particularly for refined petroleum oils and petroleum gas under the mineral fuels-related products category.

Tajikistani Export Companies

Not one Tajikistani corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists exports-related companies from Tajikistan. Selected examples are shown below.

• First MicroFinance Bank-Tajikistan (commercial bank)
• Somon Air (airliner)
• Tajik Aluminium Company (aluminum manufacturing)