Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Trade Tops $2 Billion in First Eight Months of 2026
The Uzbekistan Exporters Association has said trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan passed the $2 billion mark in the first eight months of 2026, a figure that shows a sharp increase compared with previous years.
According to the announcement, the value of trade between the two countries was about $800 million in 2024 and around $1.85 billion in 2025. Representatives of the Uzbekistan Exporters Association raised the matter during a meeting with business leaders in Balkh province.
At the meeting, both sides also stressed the expansion of trade ties and greater economic cooperation. The Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment said increased trade with Uzbekistan is important for supplying goods needed by the market, creating competition, controlling prices and preventing hoarding.
However, figures released by official bodies in the two countries on trade volume this year do not match. Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee said trade with Afghanistan reached about $1.1 billion in the first six months of 2026, while Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce had earlier said the figure was about $1.2 billion in the first seven months of the year.
A trade forum between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan was also held in July this year with the participation of traders and investors from both countries, during which 22 trade memorandums of understanding were signed. In their recent meetings, the two countries have also stressed the development of trade, increased exports, joint investment and facilitation of transit.
Uzbekistan is considered one of Afghanistan’s important trade routes to Central Asia and has taken on a more prominent role in transit and economic exchanges with Afghanistan in recent years.
