Iran transit accounts for 9% of Uzbekistan's imports

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan received US$3.9 billion worth of imported goods in transit through Iran in 2025, accounting for about 9% of the country’s total imports, according to the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan in its Fiscal Strategy for 2027-2029.

Direct trade between Uzbekistan and Middle Eastern countries — Iran, Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — remained relatively small in 2025 at US$2.1 billion, or 2.6% of the country’s total foreign trade turnover. However, the ministry said the region is much more important for Uzbekistan from a logistics perspective, with Iranian ports serving as one of the transport hubs connecting the country with other markets.

About one-quarter of transit imports through Iran, or around US$1 billion, consisted of technological equipment. This represented 14.8% of Uzbekistan’s total imports in this category.

Other major import categories included food products at US$725 million, chemical products at US$339.4 million, metals and metal products at US$319.1 million, vehicles and spare parts at US$278.7 million, pharmaceutical products at US$259.7 million and electrical products at US$229.7 million. Other goods accounted for US$712.5 million.

In the opposite direction, Uzbek goods worth US$1.4 billion were exported through Iran, representing about 10% of the country’s exports excluding gold. Textiles accounted for the largest share at US$546.5 million, followed by metals and metal products at US$422.3 million, chemical products at US$143.6 million and fuel and petroleum products at US$100.2 million. Tobacco and electrical products, along with other goods, accounted for about US$181 million.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said that, given the relatively small volume of direct trade, tensions in the Middle East could affect Uzbekistan primarily through disruptions to transit corridors running through Iran, higher transportation costs and longer delivery times.

The ministry estimates the impact through foreign trade and logistics channels at US$1 billion to US$1.5 billion, equivalent to about 0.7%-1% of Uzbekistan’s GDP.

In addition to logistics risks, the ministry pointed to potential increases in global prices for oil, food and mineral fertilizers, as well as a slowdown in the global economy. According to the ministry, these factors could increase inflationary pressure and weaken Uzbekistan’s macroeconomic indicators.