Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan advance customs cooperation

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 21. Kazakhstan’s Kurultai has ratified an agreement with Uzbekistan on opening representative offices of the two countries’ customs services to facilitate bilateral trade, according to the Kurultai’s press service.

The agreement was signed by the governments of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on November 15, 2025, in Tashkent.

The document provides for the prompt exchange of information, coordination of measures to prevent and counter threats, and coordinated action by the competent authorities of both countries.

“Implementation of the agreement will strengthen practical cooperation between the customs authorities of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and create additional conditions for accelerating bilateral trade, as well as the movement of goods, transport and citizens across the state borders,” the Kurultai’s press service said.

Meanwhile, bilateral rail freight traffic reached a record 32.3 million tons in 2025, up 16% compared with 2024 and marking the highest level in the past 10 years, according to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ).

Kazakhstan’s freight exports to Uzbekistan totaled 13 million tons, up 8.5%. Grain shipments to Uzbekistan increased by 32%, exceeding 4.5 million tons.

The upward trend continued in 2026, with bilateral rail freight traffic reaching 6.6 million tons in January-February, up 37.5% compared with the same period in 2025.