The volume of construction materials sales being reported by Uzbekistan authorities is rising. In 2007 basic construction materials (cement, roofing, rolled metal) for the total amount of 538bn soums (US$420.51m) were traded through the central exchange, a fourfold jump over 2006 activity levels.

In particular, the share of the sales of cement (in total 12 types sold) grew from 59 per cent in 2006 to 74 per cent in 2007. Export sales of cement to neighbouring countries also grew rapidly, government agencies claimed, rising from from US$1.45m in 2006 to US$18.5m last year.