Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed progress on World Trade Organization accession efforts and outlined priorities to accelerate Uzbekistan’s path toward full membership in 2026.During the presentation, officials highlighted significant achievements made in 2025 through multilateral and bilateral negotiations related to Uzbekistan’s WTO accession process.Two meetings of the Working Party on Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO were held last year, during which Uzbekistan submitted responses to more than 200 questions and presented over 30 foreign trade-related documents to WTO members.
The country also conducted more than 40 rounds of bilateral negotiations. In 2025 alone, accession talks were successfully concluded with 11 countries, increasing the total number of completed bilateral agreements to 33.WTO members positively assessed the broad economic reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan as part of its transition toward a market economy. Authorities noted that 68 legal and regulatory acts were aligned with WTO requirements and international standards during the past year.As part of reforms linked to WTO harmonization, Uzbekistan simplified intellectual property registration procedures and strengthened penalties for related violations.
Export restrictions were abolished, transparent export duty mechanisms were introduced, and the practice of setting minimum export prices for certain goods was eliminated.The government also introduced major reforms aimed at reducing technical barriers to trade and improving sanitary and phytosanitary standards. A new certification system replaced mandatory state registration procedures for high-risk products, while food safety oversight was transferred to the Committee for Sanitary and Epidemiological Well-being and Public Health.
Additionally, 14 technical regulations governing food products were abolished, and mandatory certification requirements for 747 commodity items were removed, reducing the overall list by 27 percent.The presentation also reviewed progress on new legislation concerning food safety and trade defense measures, alongside the implementation of risk analysis, traceability, and scientific standards in sanitation, veterinary, and quarantine systems.President Mirziyoyev instructed officials to ensure the effective implementation of comprehensive measures necessary to finalize Uzbekistan’s full membership in the WTO by 2026.
