ALMATY – Trade between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan reached $2.8 billion in the first half of 2026, making Kazakhstan Uzbekistan’s third-largest trading partner and highlighting a relationship that is moving beyond trad itional commodity exchanges toward manufacturing, agricultural trade and integrated production chains.
The 7th Meeting of the Uzbekistan–Kazakhstan Business Council was held in Tashkent on Aug. 6, where officials discussed how to transform the strong momentum in bilateral trade into new investment projects. Photo credit: Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan.
According to Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee, Kazakhstan accounted for the third-largest share of Uzbekistan’s foreign trade in January-June, behind China with $9.5 billion and Russia with $7 billion. Türkiye ranked fourth with $1.4 billion. The latest figures come as businesses and governments on both sides seek to turn rapidly expanding trade into longer-term investment and production cooperation.
In 2025, bilateral trade reached $4.8 billion, up 16.2% year on year. The first months of 2026 suggest that momentum has continued. According to data presented by the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs on Aug. 6, trade between the two countries reached $2.3 billion in January-May, 37.2% higher than in the same period of 2025.
Kazakhstan’s exports increased particularly rapidly, while imports from Uzbekistan also continued to grow, reported the Chamber of International Commerce of Kazakhstan. The figures point to a relationship that is becoming important for both countries as they seek to strengthen regional value chains and reduce dependence on distant markets.
From trade growth to deeper economic integration The headline increase in trade is significant, but its composition may be more important than the total value itself. Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with Uzbekistan grew by 34.7% year on year to $2.8 billion in January-June.
Uzbekistan has moved from eighth to sixth place among Kazakhstan’s trading partners over the past year, while its share of Kazakhstan’s total trade increased from 3.1% to 3.9%. The strongest growth has come from Kazakhstan’s exports, which rose 39.5% to nearly $2.1 billion.
Wheat accounted for almost 27% of Kazakhstan’s exports to Uzbekistan, reaching $571.6 million. Wheat exports nearly doubled over the year. Other significant increases were recorded in sunflower oil, beef, lamb and metal products. The trend is notable because Kazakhstan has traditionally been associated with commodity exports.
Yet the structure of its exports to Uzbekistan has been changing. In 2017, raw materials and products classified as “near-raw materials” accounted for 65.3% of Kazakhstan’s exports to Uzbekistan. By 2025, their share had fallen to 35.5%, while semi-finished products increased from 29% to 40.2% and finished goods, excluding re-exports, rose from 3.4% to 20.5%.
The first half of 2026, however, shows that this transition is not yet linear. Raw materials accounted for 39.9% of exports, semi-finished products for 38.2% and finished goods for 17.9%. This longer-term shift reflects a broader challenge for Kazakhstan: increasing the value generated from its existing resource base rather than relying primarily on higher volumes of commodity exports.