TEHRAN- Uzbekistan’s $1.4 billion food market is open to Iranian exporters as trade between the two countries reached $305 million in the first half of 2026, and three cooperation documents were recently signed.
According to a Mehr News Agency, Uzbekistan is becoming one of Central Asia’s growing markets, as its food imports in the first quarter of 2026 jumped by nearly 46% to $1.4 billion. Yet Iran’s share of this market remains limited, and economic actors believe that expanding Iran’s food industry exports to Tashkent requires resolving financial and transportation obstacles and gaining a more accurate understanding of the market.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has pursued its foreign trade development path more rapidly, and growth in imports, increased foreign investment, and expanded ties with regional markets have made the country one of Central Asia’s notable markets.
According to the latest statistics from Uzbekistan’s National Statistics Committee, the country’s imports in the first quarter of 2026 reached $12.2 billion. Among these, food products and live animals, with a share of about $1.4 billion, were one of the main import groups. Notably, imports in this group grew by 45.9% compared with the same period last year.
These figures show that Uzbekistan’s food market is not merely a domestic consumer market; given the country’s population of more than 37 million and its position as one of Central Asia’s trade hubs, it could become more important for regional food exporters.
EF/MA
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: tehrantimes.com
