Uzbekistan for European exporters: what's changed and where the openings are

Uzbekistan is Central Asia’s most populous country and one of its fastest-changing markets. Over the past decade it has opened up its economy, and its relationship with the EU has moved forward quickly. For European exporters, that creates real openings, along with the usual work of entering a market that is still reforming. This guide sets out what has changed and where to look.

What has changed

Three developments stand out for European companies.

A new partnership agreement with the EU. The EU and Uzbekistan signed an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) on 24 October 2025. The European Commission says it provisionally applies from 1 March 2026 and replaces the 1996 agreement. It upgrades cooperation in areas including trade and investment.

Progress towards WTO membership. Uzbekistan’s WTO working party was set up in 1994. On 24 October 2025 the EU and Uzbekistan concluded their bilateral negotiations on market access for goods and services, which the Commission called a significant milestone. Uzbekistan’s commitments on maximum tariffs and services will go into its future Protocol of Accession and will then apply to all WTO members. At the time of the Commission’s latest update, Uzbekistan was not yet a WTO member. Check the WTO’s accession page for the current status.

Preferential access for Uzbek goods in the EU. Since 10 April 2021, Uzbekistan has been a beneficiary of the EU’s GSP+ scheme, which removes tariffs on about two thirds of the product lines covered by the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences. This mainly helps Uzbek exporters, but it also makes Uzbekistan more interesting for European companies thinking about sourcing or production there.

The economy in numbers

Invest Uzbekistan, the government’s investment platform, gives these figures for 2025:

• population of 38.2 million, growing by more than 693,500 in the year
• real GDP growth of 7.7%, with no year of contraction from 2016 to 2025
• inflation down to 7.3%, against a central bank target of 5%
• foreign trade turnover of $81.2 billion, with exports up 24% to $33.8 billion
• foreign investment and loans of $43.1 billion

The European Commission adds that, in 2024, the EU was Uzbekistan’s third-largest trading partner, with 10.4% of its total trade.

These are official headline figures. They show the direction of travel, but your own market research for your product matters more.

Where the openings are

Invest Uzbekistan lists priority areas that match what many European companies sell:

• Industry: mechanical engineering, chemicals, textiles and agricultural processing
• Energy: solar and wind power, grids, storage and energy efficiency. It reports that renewables reached 54% of electricity generation.
• Services: logistics, IT and telecoms, finance and tourism

In practice, demand often follows modernisation: equipment and technology for factories and farms, energy infrastructure, healthcare, education and training, and the services that support a growing private sector. Privatisation is another area to watch. Invest Uzbekistan points to the State Assets Management Agency for the current programme.

Getting there and getting started

The UK government’s travel advice says British citizens can visit Uzbekistan without a visa for up to 30 days for tourism or business. Other nationalities should check with the Uzbek embassy. Visitors must register with the authorities within 3 days of arrival. Hotels do this for their guests, but if you stay privately your host must register you, and missing registration can lead to fines.

For most European exporters, the first step is a local distributor or agent, followed by a representative office or company once sales justify it. Have contracts reviewed by a lawyer who knows Uzbek law, and agree clearly on currency, payment terms and who handles import formalities and certification.

Before your first visit, prepare:

• A clear offer. Know which products you want to sell, at what export price, on which delivery terms, and in what quantities you can supply.
• Materials in Russian. Russian is widely used in business across Central Asia. Translated product sheets and a short company profile make a much better first impression than English alone.
• Product documentation. Uzbekistan has its own certification and registration requirements for many goods. Ask potential partners what applies to your product, and confirm it with the relevant authorities before you quote delivery dates.
• Time for relationships. First meetings are often about getting to know each other. Expect several visits before a first order, and plan to keep visiting once business starts.
• A view on payment. Decide how you will be paid, in which currency and through which banks, and how you will manage the risk on early orders. Letters of credit or prepayment are common ways to limit risk with a new partner.

Sanctions and compliance

Uzbekistan trades closely with Russia, and Western governments watch for goods being re-exported there. The UK government’s guidance for Uzbek businesses says the UK has already sanctioned several Uzbekistan-based entities for activity that undermines its sanctions on Russia.

For a European exporter, that means:

• screening every customer, distributor and intermediary against the EU, UK and UN sanctions lists
• checking ownership, not just names, because sanctions extend to entities owned or controlled by listed persons
• getting written end-use and end-user commitments, especially for machinery, electronics and dual-use goods
• watching for red flags such as unusual routes, payments from third parties or orders out of line with a customer’s business

Good partners in Uzbekistan understand these checks and expect them.

How Mavericks Go helps

Mavericks Go takes European companies into Central Asia, including Uzbekistan, with a market briefing and entry plan, introductions to local distributors, buyers and counterparts through Mavericks Connect, and trade missions and delegations. Every Go deal is screened against EU sanctions. We make the right introductions. The deals are yours.