Why does Tajik business prefer to operate in Uzbekistan?

The Tax Committee of Tajikistan explained why domestic entrepreneurs are expanding into neighboring countries.

Payrav Shorshanbiyev

According to the Tax Committee under the Government of Tajikistan, there are about 410 enterprises registered in Uzbekistan with the participation of legal entities and individuals from Tajikistan. This information is based on data from the State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

In particular, Uzbekistan has registered 308 limited liability companies and 102 joint ventures, of which 144 companies are engaged in trade, 89 in industry, 43 in construction, and 33 in information technology and communications.

“The main reason for the increasing number of enterprises involving citizens of Tajikistan in Uzbekistan is the influence of common economic factors.

For comparison, Uzbekistan’s population exceeds 37 million people (in Tajikistan – over 10 million), and the conditions for doing business in the neighboring country are much more favorable than in our republic. Therefore, Tajik companies are opening businesses in Uzbekistan to expand their activities, enter a market that is almost four times larger than ours, and take advantage of other opportunities,” the statement says.

According to the Unified State Register, more than 45% of legal entities and individuals registered as founders in companies in Uzbekistan continue their entrepreneurial activities in Tajikistan, being founders and managers of legal entities.

This also confirms the growth potential of Tajik companies. “From an economic point of view, the increase in the number of enterprises involving legal entities and individuals from Tajikistan in Uzbekistan is related to the rational choice of entrepreneurs. This confirms that Tajik entrepreneurs view Uzbekistan as a more promising and broader market for growth and additional profitability,” emphasized the Tax Committee of Tajikistan.

Uzbek Business in Tajikistan

According to the Tax Committee, there are 155 entities registered in Tajikistan with the participation of legal entities and individuals from Uzbekistan. In 2025, these enterprises paid taxes to the budget totaling more than 38 million somoni, which is 7.8 million somoni more compared to 2024.

As of January 1, 2026, more than 3,500 business entities with the participation of legal entities and individuals from other countries are registered in Tajikistan.

In particular:

China — 1117

Russia — 403

Afghanistan — 424

Iran — 328

Turkey — 157

Uzbekistan — 155

Kazakhstan — 109

In general, according to the tax authority, investors from more than 85 countries are actively operating in Tajikistan.

According to the Unified State Register, as of January 1, 2026, the total number of economic entities in Tajikistan amounted to 381 thousand, which is 15.8 thousand more than at the beginning of 2025.

From Trade to Joint Business

The Tax Committee notes that economic relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have transitioned from simple trade in goods to deeper forms of integration, such as the creation of joint ventures and mutual investments.

The department emphasizes that relations between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have significantly strengthened in recent years, leading to substantial changes in economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

“The open door policy proposed by the leaders of both countries creates favorable conditions for expanding entrepreneurial activities and increasing mutual investments,” the statement says.

According to the statistical agency of Tajikistan, the total trade turnover between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in 2025 exceeded $718 million, which is 22.5% more compared to 2024. Uzbekistan’s share in Tajikistan’s total foreign trade turnover in 2025 was 6.7%. In this regard, Uzbekistan ranks fourth, following China, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

Overall, trade turnover between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan has increased more than 10.3 times over the last 10 years — from just over $70 million in 2016 to over $718 million in 2025.

And a couple of figures from the earlier history of cooperation – in the 90s, Uzbekistan was the main trading partner of Tajikistan. In 1995, the bilateral trade turnover was $250 million, which was twice as much as the total turnover with other CIS countries. For example, Tajikistan’s trade turnover with Russia at that time was $136 million.

Article translations:
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