The Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry announced in a statement that the country has fully reopened the Termez–Hairatan border crossing after four years.
According to the statement, in 2021, travel via this route was restricted, and individuals, especially entrepreneurs, were forced to travel to Afghanistan through Tajikistan. Now, however, passengers can travel directly between the two countries provided they have a valid visa.
The Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that the country’s government is offering incentives to entrepreneurs who wish to invest in Afghanistan.
The statement noted that the Uzbek government will fully cover the storage costs for entrepreneurs who establish warehouses in Hairatan or Mazar-e-Sharif.
Uzbekistan will also fully reimburse the cost of advertising the country’s entrepreneurs’ products across Afghanistan.
The Uzbekistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry said: ‘Dear entrepreneurs, do not miss this opportunity. Enter the Afghan market, establish your infrastructure, and secure your share of a large market with 50 million consumers, which has low competition and high demand.’
The volume of Uzbekistan’s exports to Afghanistan has been continuously increasing in recent years, and now, according to the statement, all conditions are in place for the trade volume between the two countries to reach 165.4 billion Afghanis ($2.5 billion) in 2026.
