Rooted in the core heartland of Central Asia, how can Chinese enterprises tap into the market of Uzbekistan?

Uzbekistan is located at the core of the heartland of Central Asia, enjoying a strategic position for inland trade and economy. With a population of over 38 million and a young demographic structure, Uzbekistan has become the largest and most dynamic growth market in Central Asia. Leveraging its policy of continuous opening up to the outside world, stable economic growth, and a well-established foreign investment support system, Uzbekistan is continuously attracting a large number of Chinese enterprises to settle and expand their operations, laying out in the blue ocean market of Central Asia.

01

Central Asia takes center stage: China-Uzbekistan economic cooperation continues to heat up

For a long time, China and Uzbekistan have maintained a stable and deep economic cooperation relationship. The bilateral strategic mutual trust is solid, and the cooperation foundation is solid and reliable. In 2025, China and the five Central Asian countries including Uzbekistan signed a permanent treaty of good-neighborly friendship and cooperation. China-Uzbekistan relations entered a period of rapid development, with a bilateral trade总额 of 16.1 billion US dollars in 2025， an increase of 17.9%， among which China's exports were 14.23 billion US dollars， an increase of 22.2%； China's imports were 1.87 billion US dollars， a decrease of 6.9%. In 2025， China's investment and financing scale towards Uzbekistan continued to rank first， far exceeding traditional cooperation countries such as Russia， Turkey， and South Korea. The investment map covers core fields such as oil and gas chemicals, power and energy, textile manufacturing, automotive industry, and international engineering contracting, fully integrating into Uzbekistan's real economy.

Compared with the situation in the early years when foreign investment was highly concentrated in natural resource extraction, the foreign investment structure in Uzbekistan has continued to improve. Industrial cooperation has extended to high-end manufacturing, people's livelihood infrastructure, and emerging industries, providing an excellent opportunity for Chinese enterprises to diversify their layouts.

02

Core sectors explode: Unlocking new cooperation opportunities in three advantageous fields

Based on the local industrial planning and economic transformation needs, Uzbekistan has focused on opening up investment tracks in multiple fields. Different industries have gradually revealed their development potential, forming a pattern of "core essential needs leading, emerging industries building momentum". This aligns perfectly with the advantages of Chinese enterprises' overseas expansion.

(1) Power industry: Large supply-demand gap, clear investment trend for new energy

The demand for electricity is growing rapidly, and the old power grid urgently needs renovation. Currently, Uzbekistan has a significant power shortage, with aging power lines and a rapid increase in electricity demand. As the urbanization process in Uzbekistan accelerates and industries develop rapidly, the power demand is growing rapidly, especially during summer and winter, when there are frequent power shortages leading to frequent power outages. The aging power grid system causes serious power loss. It is estimated that over 70% of the power grid is over 25 years old, and only 13.5% of the power lines were laid within the last decade, with power loss exceeding 20%. With rapid economic growth, population increase, and industrial advancement, Uzbekistan's power supply capacity is under severe test. Therefore, the Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy stated that it will focus on improving the power shortage situation in Uzbekistan, addressing issues of insufficient power generation, and set a goal of achieving stable and uninterrupted power supply in the Uzbekistan power system by 2026. According to official statistics from the Uzbekistan Ministry of Energy, in 2025, Uzbekistan's solar and wind power generation reached 10.5 billion kilowatt-hours, a 110% increase compared to 2024; the total power generation from renewable energy, including hydropower, reached 16.8 billion kilowatt-hours, a 29% increase compared to 2024. During the same period, the total national power generation was 86.7 billion kilowatt-hours, a 6% increase.

The government attaches great importance to the development of new energy power. According to the draft of the "Uzbekistan 2030 Strategy", Uzbekistan plans to increase the proportion of renewable energy in power production by 54% by 2030. In addition, according to the "2025-2035 Development Plan for the Power Industry" of the Uzbekistan Energy Ministry, the government will continue to increase the construction of power plants, energy storage facilities, and power grids and other supporting facilities. In the next five years, the national power grid of Uzbekistan will attract 4 billion US dollars in investment for these projects. In terms of power equipment, the government, through the "2030 Strategy" and the "Green Economy" transformation plan, plans to increase installed capacity by 10 gigawatts by 2030, with a total investment expected to exceed 25 billion US dollars.

(2) New energy vehicles: High import penetration rate, localization accelerating

The import penetration rate of new energy vehicles is high. According to data from the Uzbekistan National Customs Committee, in 2025, a total of 79,800 vehicles were imported, a 7.1% increase compared to 2024 (74,500 vehicles). Among them, 56,800 were electric vehicles, accounting for 71.2% of the total imports, with an amount of approximately 700 million US dollars; the import volume of gasoline vehicles decreased from 32,900 in 2024 to 19,900, and the import volume of hybrid vehicles decreased from 17,500 to 3,017. However, with the popularization of electric vehicles, Uzbekistan needs to solve problems such as insufficient number of charging stations, uneven distribution, and inconsistent standards, and the expansion of charging facilities will also pose challenges to the existing power supply system.

The market presents a clear "one dominant, multiple strong" pattern. The state-owned group UzAuto Motors has long dominated the market with Chevrolet series economy cars. However, with an increase in market participants, the market share was approximately 83% in 2025, slightly down from 2024. The remaining market was divided among several manufacturers: ADM Jizzakh ranked second with a market share of about 10.8%; the joint venture factory of BYD saw the fastest growth in 2025, with a market share of 5.6%. The combined market share of niche automakers such as Asaka Motors and SamAuto is less than 0.5%.

(3) Infrastructure Projects: The demand for essential markets continues to expand

The demand in the construction and construction-related industries remains stable. With the implementation of affordable housing projects, multi-story residential projects, and other policy plans, the construction industry will remain the most dynamic sector in the economy of Uzbekistan. According to the latest approved industrial development plan by the Uzbekistan government, during the period from 2025 to 2026, a total of 346 key construction projects were initiated nationwide, with a total investment scale of 3.6 billion US dollars. As the urbanization process in Uzbekistan accelerates and the demand of residents for improved living conditions grows, the number of new residential buildings is constantly increasing, and the quality of construction and living environment will also continue to improve.

03

Strategic Layout Guide: Seize the Benefits of Central Asia, Avoid Risks of Overseas Expansion

(1) Precisely Target the Market Segment, Meet Local Demand

Prioritize the establishment of businesses in essential sectors such as electrical equipment, new energy vehicles and their components, building materials and home furnishings, packaging products, and food processing. Leveraging China's industrial supply chain advantages, provide high-quality, highly adaptable products and services, and quickly capture market share.

(2) Leverage Policy Benefits, Deepen Local Cooperation

Actively engage with Uzbekistan's national infrastructure, new energy, and public welfare projects. Utilizing the bilateral cooperation mechanism between China and Uzbekistan, leveraging tax and land use preferential policies of economic special zones, reduce implementation costs; draw on the experience of leading enterprises, through joint factory establishment and local distribution cooperation models, quickly integrate into the local market.

(3) Strengthen Risk Prevention and Control, Maintain Stable Business Development

Make full use of policy-based financial tools such as export credit insurance to hedge against risks such as cross-border operations, exchange rate fluctuations, and policy changes; familiarize oneself in advance with local industry compliance standards and market rules, improve the local operation system, and steadily expand market layout.

Conclusion

As the core entry point of the Central Asian market, Uzbekistan possesses geographical advantages, demographic dividends, favorable policies and strong industrial demands. It is a key node for Chinese enterprises to deeply engage in the Central Asian market and connect with the cross-border markets in Asia and Europe. Against the backdrop of continuous deepening regional cooperation, leveraging its mature supply chain advantages and rich overseas experience, Chinese enterprises will precisely enter the core sectors, and deeply focus on local operations. They are bound to unlock new growth spaces in this Central Asian land.