In 2024, Uzbekistan was the 3d-ranked producer of kaolin in the world (accounting for 11.0% of world production); the 5th-ranked producer of rhenium (9.3%) and uranium (6.6%); the 6th-ranked producer of tellurium (not including United States production, 1.8%); the 8th-ranked producer of indium (0.1%); the 9th-ranked producer of gold (3.9%); and the 10th-ranked producer of molybdenum (0.8%). In addition, Uzbekistan was one of the leading producers of cadmium, gypsum, nitrogen (N content of ammonia), phosphate rock, selenium, and vermiculite. Other valuable minerals produced included copper, lead, silver, and zinc. Many other mineral commodities had been identified in Uzbekistan but had not been mined. In the past several years, however, the country made concerted efforts to increase its mineral production, including through the expansion of copper and gold production facilities and plans to increase production of uranium and critical minerals.
In Uzbekistan, the share of industrial production in the gross domestic product (GDP) was 26.4%. The share of mining and quarrying in the contribution of industrial production to GDP was 12.2%, and that of manufacturing, 80.3%. Exports of gold accounted for 27.8% of all export revenue and those of nonferrous metals, for 5.5% of the total. On October 31, 2024, the President signed into law a new Law on Subsoil that would go into effect in February 2025 and replace the previous version that was in effect since 2002. In 2022, the State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources (GosComGeology) was transformed into the Ministry of Mining Industry and Geology (MinGeo). The goals of the new Ministry included development of Government policy and improvement of the legal foundation of the mineral industry; promotion of sustainable development and the timely replacement of depleted mineral resources and reserves with new resources and reserves through new discoveries and exploration; technological modernization of the mineral industry; creation of new mineral industry facilities capable of producing output in high demand and with high value added; and integration of education, science, and innovation within a single industrial system. Two leading mining and metallurgical complexes—AO Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex (Almalyk GMK) and AO Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company (Navoi GMK)—were open-stock companies in which the Government was the primary shareholder.
