Tajikistan’s Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association and Tibet Everest have signed a memorandum of cooperation to establish a non-ferrous metallurgy industrial park in Sughd province.
According to the ministry, the project aims to expand the processing of mineral resources, localize production, create jobs and increase Tajikistan’s export potential.
The project’s estimated cost, planned investment and construction timeline have not yet been disclosed.
The memorandum was signed during Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s official visit to Tajikistan on October 18–20, when he attended a meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.
During the visit, China expressed its readiness to expand cooperation with Tajikistan in trade, investment, infrastructure, energy and so-called “green minerals,” according to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. President Emomali Rahmon also discussed expanding bilateral economic and investment ties with Li.
A project discussed for years
Plans to establish a major non-ferrous metallurgy complex in northern Tajikistan have been under discussion for several years.
In 2022, Tibet Everest, the parent company of the Tajik-Chinese Mining Company, presented a concept for a “world-class non-ferrous metals industrial park” in Tajikistan, Asia-Plus reported at the time.
Tibet Everest operates in the country through the Tajik-Chinese Mining Company. On September 21, 2026, the second phase of the company’s metallurgical plant was commissioned in Istiqlol.
According to the president’s press service, at full capacity the plant will be able to produce up to 30,000 tons of refined lead, 1,000 tons of copper matte, 40 tons of pure silver and 100 kilograms of gold annually.
The plant uses raw materials from the Zarnisor deposit, with its output intended for both domestic and export markets. The company’s enterprises employ around 2,200 people, approximately 95% of whom are local workers.
At the opening of the plant’s second phase, Rahmon instructed officials to establish a technology park at the facility, including workshops for the deep processing of mineral resources.
Sughd’s role in industrial production
Sughd is one of Tajikistan’s main industrial centers. According to the Agency for Statistics, the country’s industrial output totaled 53.2 billion somoni in January–September 2026, up 13.7% year on year.
During the same period, Sughd’s extractive industry generated around 12.1 billion somoni in output, while manufacturing accounted for 16.5 billion somoni. Manufacturing production in the region increased by 24.7%.
Of Tajikistan’s 4,054 industrial enterprises, 1,351 — roughly one-third — are located in Sughd.
National output in metallurgy and the manufacture of fabricated metal products reached 9.57 billion somoni in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 6.9% compared with the same period last year.
The planned industrial park is intended to build on the region’s existing mining and metallurgical base, with a focus on processing more raw materials domestically and producing higher-value finished goods.