Uzbekistan Reviews WTO Accession Progress and Negotiations

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reviewed the country’s progress in joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) and measures to accelerate negotiations aimed at completing the accession process in 2026. The presentation covered the results of 2025 and further steps under both multilateral and bilateral negotiation tracks.

According to the data presented, significant progress was achieved in the accession process over the past year. Two meetings of the WTO Working Group were held, during which responses to more than 200 questions from member states were provided, along with over 30 documents related to Uzbekistan’s foreign trade policy.

In parallel, more than 40 rounds of bilateral negotiations took place. In 2025, negotiations were completed with 11 countries, bringing the total number of states with which agreements have been reached to 33. Authorities noted that WTO members have generally positively assessed reforms carried out in Uzbekistan toward the transition to a market economy.

Special attention was given to the alignment of national legislation with international trade system requirements. In 2025, 68 legal and regulatory acts were brought into compliance with WTO rules and international standards.

As part of reforms aimed at harmonizing trade regulations, intellectual property rules were revised, including simplified registration procedures and strengthened liability for violations. At the same time, certain export restrictions were removed, export duties were introduced with transparent application mechanisms, and the practice of setting minimum export prices for selected goods was discontinued.

Significant changes were also made in technical regulation and sanitary control. Instead of mandatory state registration for high-risk products, a certification system was introduced. Oversight of food safety was transferred to the relevant sanitary authority. In addition, 14 technical regulations on food products were abolished and mandatory certification requirements for 747 товар categories were removed, reducing overall regulatory requirements by 27%.

The meeting also reviewed draft laws on food safety and trade protection measures, as well as the implementation of risk analysis procedures, traceability systems, and science-based approaches in sanitary, veterinary, and quarantine controls.

At the conclusion of the presentation, President Mirziyoyev instructed officials to further accelerate and ensure high-quality implementation of measures aimed at completing Uzbekistan’s WTO accession. He stressed the need for systematic alignment of foreign trade legislation with WTO rules and international trade standards, as well as the completion of remaining negotiations.