Uzbekistan Launches Exchange-Based Trade with Afghanistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan has introduced a new exchange-based trade mechanism with Afghanistan on the initiative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, using the country’s existing commodity exchange infrastructure.

The new model allows exporters to sell goods directly on the Afghan market using secure financial instruments and without additional banking costs.

Settlements under the mechanism are based on bank guarantees, reducing risks for transaction participants. According to Davron Vakhabov, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev instructed in September 2025 to integrate the Uzbekistan Commodity Exchange (UzEX) platform with Afghanistan’s Ghazanfar Bank to facilitate the supply of goods to the Afghan market.

To participate in trading, Uzbek businesses must register on the UzEX platform and list their products for exchange trading. Buyers in Afghanistan execute transactions through Ghazanfar Bank, making an initial payment of 10% of the contract value.

After the agreement is concluded, the Uzbek supplier ships the goods along with the required documentation, while the remaining 90% of funds are held in the bank accounts until the goods reach the border, after which the payment is transferred to the seller.

As part of the mechanism, Ghazanfar Bank places funds in five Uzbek banks — Trustbank, Uzpromstroybank, Infinbank, Asaka Bank, and Agrobank — ensuring payment guarantees for delivered goods.

According to Vakhabov, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and UzEX are ready to support domestic entrepreneurs in accessing the Afghan market. The introduction of the new mechanism is expected to increase bilateral trade between the two countries.

Regular online meetings with representatives of Ghazanfar Bank are also planned to explain the system and present current market demand in Afghanistan.

Ghazanfar Bank operates 17 branches in Afghanistan, serving more than 150,000 clients, with an estimated annual foreign trade potential of US$1.3 billion.