Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Light Industry Exhibition Opens in Termez

DID Press: The first joint exhibition of light industry products from Afghanistan and Uzbekistan has opened at the Termez International Trade Center in Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya region, bringing together government officials, companies and private-sector representatives from both countries. The event is aimed at expanding trade and investment cooperation and creating new opportunities for exports and joint production.

The three-day exhibition, running from Sept. 15 to 17, was opened by Nooruddin Azizi, Afghanistan’s acting minister of industry and commerce, and Nozimjon Kholmurodov, director of Uzbekistan’s Agency for the Development of Light Industry.

According to Uzbekistan’s government, more than 90 Uzbek companies and over 60 Afghan companies are participating, displaying textiles, knitwear, ready-made garments, leather and footwear, carpets and other light-industry products. Business-to-business meetings and bilateral negotiations are also being held to establish new trade links, expand production cooperation and attract investment.

The event follows an agreement reached in May between Afghan and Uzbek officials to expand industrial cooperation, including in cotton processing, silk, leather, cashmere and garment production, and to organize a major bilateral light-industry exhibition in Termez.

Separately, Ghazanfar Bank and the Uzbekistan Commodity Exchange (UzEx) have developed an exchange-based trading mechanism aimed at facilitating trade between the two countries. Under the system, Afghan buyers make an initial payment of 10% of a contract’s value, while the remaining 90% is held through the banking mechanism until the goods reach the Afghan border, according to Uzbek and Afghan business reports.

The mechanism is intended to provide payment guarantees and reduce transaction risks for businesses engaged in bilateral trade.