Tajikistan and Uzbekistan Strengthen Export Controls on Strategic Goods

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The customs and counter-narcotics authorities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have enhanced their capacities in the field of strategic trade and export control.

The initiative aims to combat the illicit circulation of high-risk goods and ensure safe and legal cross-border trade.

With global trade systems becoming increasingly complex, both countries are facing new challenges in regulating strategic goods and preventing their illegal diversion.

To address these issues, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with support from the U.S. Government, conducted two specialized training courses on Strategic Trade and Export Control (STEC) in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The first course took place on 8–12 December in Dushanbe for 16 officers of Border Control Units stationed at the Dushanbe-2, Nizhny Pyanj, Khujand, and Khorog checkpoints.

Organized by the Training Institute of the Customs Service under the Government of Tajikistan, the program covered methods of strategic trade control, fraud schemes, risk indicators, goods identification techniques, and the use of specialized online platforms.

The second course was held on 15–19 December in Tashkent for officers of the Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, members of the Aviayuklar Air Control Unit and PCU Ayritom, as well as representatives of the Agency for Control of Drugs and Firearms under the Presidential Administration.

The training focused on preventing transnational crime involving the illicit circulation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials; dual-use goods; explosives; and precursors.

UNODC experts conducted interactive sessions with practical exercises on risk profiling and offender detection. Participants jointly analyzed case studies, exchanged experience, and practiced targeted inspection skills, significantly improving competencies in strategic trade and export control.

The program received high praise from participants for its practical relevance and applied nature. In the regional PCCP segment for Central Asia and Pakistan, funding was provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and the Export Control and Related Border Security Program (EXBS).

The joint courses have strengthened the national capacities of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to prevent the illegal circulation of strategic goods, while simultaneously facilitating legitimate trade and improving border security.