PANews reported on May 26 that Uzbekistan, one of the world's largest gold producers, fully resumed gold exports in April after a six-month hiatus. According to a report released Tuesday by the country's National Statistics Committee, Uzbekistan exported approximately $1.5 billion worth of non-monetary gold in the first four months of this year; data shows that the majority of these exports were completed in April. Uzbekistan's annual gold production is approximately 130 tons. The country had effectively halted gold exports since September of last year, while its central bank became one of the world's largest buyers of the precious metal. Russia, another major global gold producer, has also recently accelerated its gold sales efforts.