China's share of Uzbekistan's total foreign trade has risen to 21.2%, maintaining its position as the largest trading partner.

Source：Official report from CCTV.com，“The mutual recognition agreement between China and Uzbekistan for AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) has been implemented. Chinese foreign trade enterprises are seizing the policy benefits to accelerate their layout in the Central Asian market.”，August 01, 2026

https://news.cctv.cn/2026/08/01/ARTItZzfcJsseldYwydnzubB260801.shtml

Bilateral trade between China and Uzbekistan sustained vigorous, double-digit expansion throughout the first half of 2026, according to official statistics released independently by both governments, with China further consolidating its position as the Central Asian republic's largest and most commercially significant partner.

Figures published by China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) revealed that two-way merchandise trade reached 64.77 billion yuan in the January-through-June period, registering a robust 24.2 percent year-on-year increase. The GAC data was prominently featured in an official report carried by an official report from CCTV.com on August 1, 2026, which cited the customs administration's statistics directly, affording the figures broad official visibility and authoritative standing.

Corroborating the upward trajectory from the Uzbek perspective, the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Statistics reported that bilateral trade volume amounted to approximately $7.7 billion over the same six-month window. China's share of Uzbekistan's total foreign trade climbed to 21.2 percent, firmly securing Beijing's position as Tashkent's preeminent trading partner — a ranking it has maintained for consecutive years. The Uzbek statistical findings were subsequently republished by the Economic and Commercial Counsellor's Office of the Chinese Embassy in Uzbekistan, providing an additional channel of official dissemination.

The trade momentum has carried into the second half of the year with undiminished strength. Cumulative bilateral trade for the first seven months of 2026 had already breached the $9.2 billion threshold, placing the two economies squarely on a trajectory to achieve their ambitious full-year target of $20 billion. The accelerating pace of expansion reflects deepening economic integration under the China-Central Asia cooperation framework, as well as Uzbekistan's rapidly growing appetite for Chinese machinery, electrical equipment, consumer durables, and infrastructure-related goods. The diversification of trade baskets, alongside improved logistics connectivity through regional transport corridors, has further reduced frictions and unlocked new commercial opportunities.

The variance between the two headline figures — 64.77 billion yuan as reported by China and $7.7 billion as reported by Uzbekistan — is attributable to differences in statistical conventions, the timing of exchange rate conversions, and the scope of goods categories recorded by each customs authority. Such discrepancies are a routine feature of bilateral trade accounting and do not alter the shared underlying narrative of strong, sustained growth.

Industry observers note that the impressive H1 results provide a robust launchpad for the remainder of 2026. With both governments actively promoting trade facilitation, reducing regulatory barriers, and expanding mutual market access, the bilateral commercial relationship is poised to continue its upward trajectory, potentially surpassing the $20 billion milestone ahead of schedule and further anchoring China's role as a cornerstone of Uzbekistan's external economic strategy. The sustained expansion also carries broader implications for regional economic integration, as Uzbekistan emerges as a key hub connecting Chinese markets with the wider Central Asian region.

Uzbekistan's large-scale infrastructure push and robust industrial output growth have generated rising demand for hardware, mechanical components, and construction materials. In this context, industry platforms such as the Central Asia International Hardware Expo (CAIHE) serve as a practical trade-matching channel, connecting Chinese hardware suppliers with Uzbek buyers seeking dependable industrial sourcing solutions.