🇺🇿 Uzbekistan

Population

≈38 million (largest in Central Asia)

GDP

≈$115B nominal GDP, one of the fastest-growing economies in the region

Urbanization

≈51% urban; Tashkent metro area exceeds 3 million residents

Ongoing market-liberalization reforms since 2017 (currency convertibility, reduced licensing, privatization) have opened the country to import-driven trade.

Total imports

≈$36–40B annual merchandise imports

Key partners

China, Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Turkey

Trade regime

Member of CIS Free Trade Area; bilateral preferential terms with several CIS states.

Imports have grown steadily on the back of construction, machinery and consumer-goods demand.

• Machinery & industrial equipment
• Chemicals & fertilizers
• Food & agricultural products
• Pharmaceuticals & medical devices
• Textile machinery & raw materials
• Construction materials

• Import-substitution gaps in pharmaceuticals, packaging and processed food
• Government incentives for foreign investment in special economic zones (e.g. Navoi, Angren, Urgut)
• Growing middle-class demand for branded consumer goods
• Re-export hub potential — goods cleared through Uzbekistan can reach the wider region