The two countries want to make trade easier. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan aim to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2030, but reaching that target will require reducing non-tariff barriers and improving access for each other’s goods to domestic markets, DKNews.kz reports.
These issues were discussed on August 19 by Yeraly Tugzhanov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, and Jamshid Khodjaev, Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan. The meeting focused on the practical implementation of agreements reached between the two countries at the highest level.
Non-Tariff Barriers Move to the Center of Talks
One of the key topics was restrictions that are not directly related to customs duties but can still complicate trade between companies.
The parties discussed the need to eliminate existing non-tariff barriers and create more favorable conditions for Kazakh and Uzbek goods to enter each other’s markets.
For businesses, this has direct practical significance. Trade growth depends not only on demand and the number of contracts. Product requirements, market access procedures and other conditions companies face when supplying goods across the border also play a major role.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan intend not only to increase trade volumes but also to diversify the structure of bilateral trade.
$10 Billion Target Set for 2030
Tugzhanov and Khodjaev reaffirmed the goal set by the heads of the two states: to increase bilateral trade to $10 billion by 2030.
Trade is already showing positive momentum. According to official data from the Kazakh side, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan grew by 37% in the first five months of 2026, reaching $2.3 billion.
However, reaching the $10 billion target will require more than simply increasing traditional supplies. Investment, industrial cooperation and joint production are taking on a larger role in the bilateral economic agenda.
That is why the meeting covered not only trade barriers but also specific investment and cooperation projects.
Central Asia Center to Boost Cross-Border Trade
A separate part of the talks focused on the Central Asia International Center for Industrial Cooperation.
The project is being developed as a platform for expanding cross-border trade and industrial cooperation between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Joint investment and manufacturing projects are expected to be implemented within the center.
For the two countries, this represents a move beyond trade in finished goods toward deeper production ties. The more products are manufactured jointly, the less bilateral trade depends solely on the existing commodity structure.
The center is being considered as one of the practical instruments for reaching the $10 billion target.
Future Trade Growth Depends on Practical Mechanisms
At the beginning of the meeting, Jamshid Khodjaev congratulated Yeraly Tugzhanov on his appointment as Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan and wished him success in his diplomatic work.
The main part of the talks focused on economic issues: bilateral trade, investment, industrial cooperation and the conditions under which companies can access the neighboring country’s market.
The parties reaffirmed their readiness to maintain close cooperation and implement existing agreements within the framework of the strategic partnership and allied relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
The focus is now shifting from the $10 billion figure itself to the mechanisms needed to reach it: removing non-tariff barriers, launching joint production facilities and increasing mutual investment.
Earlier, we examined in detail what could help — and what could hinder — Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in reaching $10 billion in trade.
