Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan Trade Surges 42.5% in Q1 2026

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — The volume of bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan reached US$80.1 million in January–March 2026, representing a 42.5% increase compared to the same period last year. The figure was disclosed by the Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, Khurram Teshabaev, in an interview with the Azerbaijani news outlet Report.az.

According to the deputy minister, the growth in absolute terms amounted to US$23.9 million. Uzbekistan's exports to Azerbaijan during the reporting period totaled US$53.9 million, while imports from Azerbaijan stood at US$26.2 million.

"This trend indicates the presence of stable mutual demand, the intensification of business ties, and the deepening of cooperative interaction between the entrepreneurial circles of both countries," Teshabaev stated.

The two nations have set a target to increase mutual trade turnover to US$1 billion by 2030. The deputy minister described this milestone as "realistic and simultaneously strategically significant," but suggested that if current dynamics are sustained, the target could be reached ahead of schedule.

"If the current positive trend is maintained and joint initiatives are consistently implemented, it is possible that the target threshold of US$1 billion will be reached even before the planned deadline," he emphasized.

Teshabaev also noted that the ongoing policy focuses not only on increasing trade volumes but also on qualitative enrichment of the trade structure. This is being pursued through the development of industrial cooperation, the establishment of joint production facilities, and an increase in the share of high-value-added goods.

To support this economic push, several trade facilities are already operating within Azerbaijan, including trade missions, an Uzbek trade house, an agricultural house, and a dedicated showroom under the "Made in Uzbekistan" brand in Baku. The expansion of this commercial infrastructure is viewed as a primary mechanism for driving further trade growth.