The acquisition of U.S.-made industrial plane and an Uzbek firm’s historic opening of a producing facility in Kentucky show the dynamic and rising financial relations between the US and Uzbekistan. As U.S. diplomatic engagement with Tashkent will increase – new contracts and commerce and funding frameworks signed – understanding every nation’s priorities and targets will assist clarify this new chapter of the partnership. Furthermore, stronger commerce and funding numbers should translate into employment alternatives and an improved high quality of life for the Uzbek inhabitants.
Relations between Washington and Tashkent have typically strengthened over the previous couple of years. U.S. President Donald Trump and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev will subsequent meet in December, as Trump has invited the Uzbek chief to be a visitor on the G-20 summit in Miami.
Stronger diplomatic hyperlinks are translating into commerce and funding offers. In June, the U.S. Commerce Consultant (USTR) Ambassador Jamieson Greer visited Tashkent and signed “an early harvest of commerce commitments to strengthen the bilateral financial and funding relationship.” Particularly, Tashkent dedicated “to eradicate or scale back tariffs” on U.S. industrial items and agricultural merchandise. In distinction, Washington dedicated “to supply favorable consideration” in tariff actions for Uzbekistan’s industrial items and agricultural merchandise. The 2 sides are additionally working to conclude an Settlement on Reciprocal Commerce and Funding.
Additionally in June, the U.S. Worldwide Growth Finance Company (DFC) launched the U.S.-Uzbekistan Joint Funding Platform, which can “intention to establish strategic investments in Uzbekistan for U.S.” in areas like vitality, infrastructure, essential minerals, transportation and logistics infrastructure.
The subject of funding in essential minerals, vitality, and transportation was additionally reportedly mentioned throughout a gathering between Mirziyoyev and Sergio Gor, the U.S. particular envoy for South and Central Asian affairs, on the sidelines of the latest Shanghai Cooperation Group (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
This exercise builds upon the momentum of earlier offers. In 2025, Tashkent introduced a $8.5 billion deal to purchase as many as 22 Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane to modernize the nation’s industrial aviation trade. The plane will permit direct, long-distance flights with the US, growing connectivity and tourism.
Funding now goes each methods, breaking stereotypes and assumptions of the U.S. being the one actor within the Central Asia-U.S. relationships that invests on the opposite facet. The Uzbek firm AFKA is constructing a producing facility in Bowling Inexperienced, Kentucky. Will probably be the primary Uzbek manufacturing firm to function within the U.S. The groundbreaking ceremony befell in July, and when full, the AFKA Aluminum Options plant will make use of 331 folks, supporting the native economic system and strengthening bilateral industrial ties.
Stronger financial hyperlinks between the 2 governments happen at a time when Tashkent is seeking to develop your complete nation, not simply the capital. For instance, the historic metropolis of Khiva is getting a face-lift by way of the anticipated development of a convention corridor, a 3-star resort, and a reception home, which can create jobs and entice tourism. Plans additionally embrace constructing a toll highway and a railway to attach the Urgench airport with Khiva. Different plans embrace modernizing regional airports to enhance home and worldwide connectivity.
As for Nukus, the capital of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the objective is to improve town’s public transportation by way of a mortgage from the European Financial institution for Reconstruction and Growth.
From Washington’s perspective, there’s a new race on to entry sources like oil, gasoline, and particularly essential minerals. Central Asia has been blessed with lots of the sources that the world’s nice powers want. Central Asian governments like Uzbekistan view this example not as a sport or a race however as a possibility to construct new industrial partnerships and entice traders. Whereas the Trump administration continues to deal with vitality, minerals, and transportation infrastructure as important areas for future funding and commerce, Tashkent can hopefully additionally redirect U.S. curiosity to different initiatives and industries.
For instance, through the November 2025 summit between Trump and the 5 Central Asian leaders, Washington pledged to discover “the growth of a partnership within the upcoming sale and privatization of UzAuto Motors” along with a possible $3 billion funding from Air Merchandise for a methanol manufacturing facility in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek authorities goals to generate 54 p.c of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Washington and Tashkent hope to encourage U.S. firms to take a position on this discipline.
There are limitations to contemplate, particularly the Jackson-Vanik Modification, which denies everlasting regular commerce relations to Uzbekistan. To be honest, whereas the modification irritates political relations, its influence on bilateral commerce and funding is negligible. Tashkent has, for many years, obtained non permanent regular commerce relations by way of annual presidential waivers.
Furthermore, even when U.S.-Uzbek commerce grows significantly, it can nonetheless be dwarfed by commerce between Uzbekistan and China, which reached between $7.7 and $8.9 billion within the first half of the yr. Merely put, stronger U.S.-Uzbek commerce and funding ties is not going to dramatically create a brand new structure of precedence companions for Uzbekistan.
There’s additionally a home part to contemplate: Uzbekistan has the area’s largest inhabitants, with round 39 million (in accordance with a brand new census), and an unlimited younger workforce who deserve jobs and a future of their homeland. Sadly, a good portion of the inhabitants lives beneath the poverty line, and unemployment continues to be problematic, greater than 1,000,000 Uzbeks migrate overseas for work yearly.
As in lots of international locations, wealth and improvement focus within the capital. Whereas the examples of regional infrastructure improvement talked about on this commentary are optimistic, a 2025 research carried out by the Nationwide Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the World Financial institution confirmed that the biggest numbers of poor residents had been recorded within the Samarkand area (265,000 folks), in addition to in Fergana (239,000), Kashkadarya (238,000), and Andijan (214,000) areas.
In different phrases, Uzbekistan should make investments extra in infrastructure initiatives and financial progress throughout its areas, not simply the capital.
In a September 3 speech, Mirziyoyev mentioned a brand new system to scale back poverty and unemployment throughout the nation will likely be launched. This new technique have to be monitored to make sure it promotes employment and helps low-income people, reasonably than falling sufferer to bureaucratic incompetence or corruption.
As curiosity in Central Asia’s pure sources continues to develop, it’s also essential to grasp the priorities of the 5 Central Asian governments. In Uzbekistan, the momentum is to diversify the nation’s vitality manufacturing and produce improvement to areas exterior Tashkent. Washington and American industries should maintain Tashkent’s priorities and targets in thoughts to safe win-win contracts and agreements and guarantee this partnership continues because the so-called race for essential minerals heats up.
For Uzbekistan’s inhabitants, notably these dwelling exterior Tashkent, this stronger partnership should imply extra jobs, financial progress, and a greater high quality of life.
