Uzbek pharmaceutical companies discuss export terms to Afghanistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Agency for the Development of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry of the Republic of Uzbekistan hosted a working meeting with a delegation from the Afghanistan Food and Drug Authority (AFDA).

The event, organized for domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers, was held in a hybrid format, bringing together participants in the conference hall and on the Zoom online platform. The main goal of the dialogue was to familiarize Uzbek enterprises with regulatory requirements, medicine registration procedures, and the potential of the Afghan market for increasing export supplies.

During the presentation, AFDA representatives reported that the current volume of Afghanistan's pharmaceutical market is estimated at approximately US$1 billion. Despite the systematic development of local production capacities inside the neighboring country, a significant portion of the state's domestic needs for medicines and medical devices is still met through import deliveries. This opens up broad prospects for Uzbek exporters ready to offer quality and competitive products.

An official representative of the Afghan regulator, Dr. Saddam, briefed Uzbek entrepreneurs in detail on the current certification rules. He described the step-by-step application procedure, document review regulations, the system for conducting inspections at production sites, and the structure of customs and registration fees.

An important point of the speech was the announcement that the standard fee for conducting a mandatory GMP inspection of each production line, usually charged to all foreign suppliers, has currently been waived for manufacturers from Uzbekistan, and the procedure is being carried out free of charge.

At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives of domestic pharmaceutical companies received comprehensive answers to specialized questions and exchanged views on mechanisms for optimizing logistical and regulatory processes when entering the Afghan market.

The leadership of the agency emphasized that the department will continue systematic work to accompany and provide comprehensive support to Uzbek manufacturers when exploring promising foreign sales markets.