By Botir Zokir Ugly Ergashev
Amid shifting geopolitics and disrupted global supply chains, Pakistan’s seaports are increasingly shaping Uzbekistan’s access to international markets, underscoring their growing strategic importance in regional trade.
The ongoing instability in global geopolitics and repeated disruptions in transport and logistics networks are directly affecting international trade flows, national economic stability and living standards. In this environment, the efficient organisation of foreign trade corridors — and their resilience to unforeseen shocks — has become a strategic priority for many countries, including Uzbekistan.
As a double landlocked country, Uzbekistan must transit at least two states to access the sea. Yet, its central position in Eurasia has historically placed it at the crossroads of major trade routes, turning the country into a key hub for the concentration and redistribution of cargo flows. Today, the effective use of this geographic and transit potential is not only strengthening Uzbekistan’s foreign trade, but also contributing to wider regional connectivity.
To capitalise on this advantage, the Government of Uzbekistan has launched several major transport initiatives. Among them are the proposed Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway and the international multimodal corridor linking Belarus, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. These projects are designed to connect Uzbekistan with the nearest seaports, offering the shortest maritime routes to South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
By the end of 2025, cargo volumes transported along the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan corridor exceeded 400,000 tonnes, marking an 11 per cent year-on-year increase. Imports alone surged by 22 per cent to 243,000 tonnes, highlighting the growing reliance of Uzbekistan’s domestic market on routes passing through Pakistani ports.
Strong bilateral trust between Uzbekistan and Pakistan has further reinforced transport and logistics cooperation. An intergovernmental agreement on transit trade signed in 2022 has yielded tangible results: by the end of 2025, total export and import cargo volumes between the two countries reached 450,000 tonnes — a 37 per cent increase compared to 2024 and nearly 60 per cent higher than in 2021.
These trends underline Pakistan’s rising role in Uzbekistan’s foreign trade architecture. Through Pakistan, Uzbekistan gains access to three major seaports — Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar — which offer direct maritime links to hundreds of ports worldwide. This connectivity enables faster, more cost-effective delivery of Uzbek exports to markets across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific.
Preliminary assessments suggest that routing cargo through Pakistani ports can cut delivery times by 10–15 days and reduce overall logistics costs by 20–30 per cent compared to traditional routes — a particularly significant advantage for time-sensitive agricultural and textile exports.
However, the current geopolitical situation has posed fresh challenges. Since October 2025, freight routes between Uzbekistan and Pakistan have been disrupted due to the closure of the Pakistan–Afghanistan border. As a result, bilateral trade declined by 40 per cent, falling from $2.46 billion in 2024 to $1.77 billion in 2025.
This disruption has prompted a partial redirection of cargo flows. Some Afghanistan–Pakistan trade has been rerouted via Central Asian states — including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan — as well as through Iran. Despite these shifts, Pakistan’s well-developed port infrastructure is expected to retain its long-term role as a primary maritime gateway for regional trade and transit.
Experts note that, given the closure of traditional routes, the establishment of temporary alternative international transport corridors is essential. Even so, the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan corridor remains the shortest option, reducing freight distances between the European Union, CIS countries and China to South Asia by an average of 20–30 per cent compared to conventional sea and rail routes.
Beyond serving as transit points, Pakistani ports are increasingly viewed as a strategic base for Uzbekistan’s trade diversification. They enable lower logistics costs, broader export geography and stronger integration into global supply chains.
The transport projects underway and the steady growth in freight volumes clearly signal that this direction is among the most promising for Uzbekistan’s foreign trade. Pakistan’s transport infrastructure and seaports, analysts conclude, are set to remain of critical strategic importance for Uzbekistan in the years ahead.
