Uzbekistan Discusses Trade Barriers for Export of Construction Materials

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan is considering taking reciprocal measures in response to trade restrictions faced by domestic exporters, Vice Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev said on 17 January during a meeting between entrepreneurs, diplomats, and government officials. The discussion focused primarily on challenges in exporting construction materials to the markets of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caucasus countries.

A representative from Knauf reported obstacles in delivering products to Tajikistan, where even with a full set of documents, goods are processed under a “reserve” customs scheme, increasing market costs by approximately 15 percent.

Additional difficulties arise in the Turkmenistan market, where obtaining visas for company employees presenting new innovative products poses a barrier. The third challenge is the high logistics costs for entering the Caucasus market, which make transportation expensive and hinder competitiveness.

Ilyos Rakhimov, acting chairman of the Uzpromstroymaterialy Association, noted that last year Uzbek manufacturers exported construction materials to 70 countries and called on the government to assist in reducing tariffs and achieving mutual recognition of certificates with countries such as Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Mongolia. He emphasized particular potential in aluminum profiles and composite panels.

Jamshid Khodjaev instructed the responsible ministries to address the raised issues. He tasked First Deputy Minister of Transport Mamanbiy Omarov with logistics and transportation matters, and Deputy Minister of Investments, Industry, and Trade Ilzat Kasymov with preferential trade issues. The vice prime minister noted that reciprocal measures against Tajikistan could be applied if necessary.

According to Ilyos Rakhimov, from 1 December 2025, Tajik authorities introduced an additional charge of US$450 per ton for ceramic tiles. Combined with rising logistics costs, this increased the market price of products from approximately US$2,000 to US$12,000.

During the discussion, Uzbekistan’s ambassadors to Tajikistan and Turkmenistan confirmed that exporters are receiving support through diplomatic channels. Ambassador to Turkmenistan Ravshanbek Alimov highlighted Knauf’s active engagement and continuous contact, noting the presence of showrooms in Ashgabat and Turkmenabad. The vice prime minister also emphasized the need to resolve visa issues, which remain a sensitive barrier for business.

Official statistics show that in the first 11 months of 2025, trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan reached US$737.9 million, up 17.7%, while trade with Turkmenistan totaled US$1.06 billion, an increase of 3.2% compared with the same period last year.

The government of Uzbekistan is demonstrating readiness to apply a comprehensive approach to supporting exporters, including diplomatic efforts and potential reciprocal measures if trade barriers persist in neighboring countries.