Why is this important
China is strengthening its leadership among foreign investors in Uzbekistan. Its market share is growing faster than in other countries, reinforcing the trend towards increased economic presence. Meanwhile, Afghanistan is in fifth place, overtaking South Korea.
What happened
- As of 1 September, 16,946 enterprises with foreign participation operate in Uzbekistan (+337 per month);
- China — 4,420 companies (+170 per month), of which 681 are joint ventures;
- Russia — 3,141 companies (+48), of which 901 are joint;
- Turkey — 2,025 companies (+43);
- Kazakhstan — 1,151 (+2);
- Afghanistan — 682 (+11), surpassed South Korea (628, +6);
- The top 10 also includes: UAE (377), Tajikistan (365), India (341), USA (340);
- 63.8% of all foreign enterprises are concentrated in Tashkent (10.8 thousand firms);
- The main industries are: trade (6 thousand companies), industry (3.5 thousand), construction (1 282), IT and communications (1 239).
What they say
Foreign investors continue to strengthen their presence, especially in key sectors of the economy, — the Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan stated.
Context
China has remained the largest partner in terms of the number of companies for more than two consecutive years. Afghanistan entered the top five for the first time, surpassing South Korea — an important signal for a new investment geography. The increase in activity is linked to measures to improve the business climate and liberalise the registration of companies.
