The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is hosting the 13th Central Asia Trade Forum, entitled “Trade Connections: Bridging Globally,” on May 14 and 15 at the Rixos Hotel in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
The Central Asia Trade Forum (CATF) is a major trade event advancing connectivity, commerce, and trade policy in the region.
With more than 10,000 government and business leaders from 25 countries in Central and South Asia, Europe, and the United States participating since its inception, CATF has enabled the signing of more than $32 million in contracts.
This year’s CATF is reportedly designed to open new trade possibilities and overseas markets, enabling participants to identify opportunities and expand the scope of regional trade. The forum will feature sessions on customs digitalization, transport and logistics, trade regulation (including regional trade agreements), World Trade Organization standards, and harmonization.
Press release issued by USAID says the forum has successfully added side events to attract even more investors and entrepreneurs: a trade fair running concurrently will feature 40 companies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan (in partnership with Kazakhstan's Ministry of Trade and Integration and Almaty Chamber of Commerce and Investment, it will showcase agricultural, textile, apparel, and food products); a business-to-business expo featuring Central Asian products for global buyers; and a Kazakhstan-Pakistan Trade Fair, showcasing Pakistan’s businesses’ potential for bolstering international economic ties.
In addition, the 11th Regional Meeting of the National Trade Facilitation Committees of Central Asian countries is expected to be held at the Rixos Hotel on May 15. It will attract business executives and officials from the five countries overseeing customs, transport, phytosanitary certification, and veterinary border control. Supported by the ‘Trade Facilitation in Central Asia’ regional project, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), this meeting will focus on roadmaps for digitalizing trade processes in Central Asia and developing a joint action plan to streamline trade procedures throughout the region.
USAID, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and GIZ are the primary sponsors of the Central Asia Trade Forum. Media partners include The Astana Times, Exclusive.kz, Profit.kz, Kapital.kz, and Orient Media Turkmenistan.
USAID notes that Central Asian countries have made significant progress over the last two decades and have excellent growth potential. During the previous 20 years, the region’s gross domestic product (GDP) has expanded by an annual average of 6.2 percent in real terms, reaching US$347 billion. Since 2000, foreign trade turnover has surged sevenfold. In 2022, the Central Asian countries’ combined imports and exports were worth nearly US$190 billion.
