Uzbek President Signs Order to Implement Preferential Trade Agreement with Afghanistan
Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan, has signed an official decree endorsing a preferential trade agreement between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. The agreement was previously signed on June 10, 2025, on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum by Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade and the Taliban administration’s Minister of Industry and Trade.
According to the terms of the agreement, customs tariffs on 14 product categories will be eliminated. Additionally, the process of obtaining phytosanitary permits for Afghan agricultural products will be simplified, facilitating their access to the Uzbek market. In return, certain supportive measures have been planned for Uzbek exporters.
In February 2026, Jamshid Khodjaev, Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, held talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban administration’s Minister of Industry and Trade, regarding the implementation of this agreement. Further details about the exact timing of the full enforcement of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Furthermore, a joint trade forum between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan is scheduled to be held in Kabul after the end of Ramadan. The purpose of this meeting is to expand economic cooperation and create new opportunities for businessmen from both countries.
