Georgia–Uzbekistan economic ties are small but changing fast, and in 2026 they were formally raised to a strategic partnership. In 2025 Georgia exported about $87 million in goods to Uzbekistan, against roughly $70 million of imports. This analysis from BTU shows what the two countries actually trade, how the relationship has shifted over a decade, and why its real weight may lie beyond goods, in transport. One point up front: the goods figures come from ITC Trade Map (Georgia reporting), and the picture beyond trade draws on public sources.
In short: key takeaways
- Georgia runs a small trade surplus with Uzbekistan (about $87 million of exports against $70 million of imports in 2025), built on a narrow base: medicaments and bottled water are about half of exports.
- Georgia sells high-value goods (medicines, vaccines, water) and buys raw materials (copper, kidney beans, walnuts).
- Goods turnover almost doubled over the decade and hit a record in 2025.
- In July 2026 the two countries signed a Strategic Partnership Declaration; the real long-term driver is transport, Georgia as Uzbekistan’s Black Sea gateway.
What does Georgia export to Uzbekistan?
Exports fall into three groups. The largest is pharmaceuticals: packaged medicaments (including antibiotics), blood-based therapeutic products and vaccines. The second is bottled water, natural mineral and sweetened drinks, which together are almost a third of exports, though the country barely traded in them a few years ago. The third is a smaller set of industrial and medical goods: excavators, artificial joints, wine and animal feed.
What does Georgia import from Uzbekistan?
Two blocks dominate. The first is copper, thin wire and stranded cable, the single largest import line, though down from its recent peak. The second is agricultural produce: kidney beans, walnuts, raisins, onions and dried plums. Alongside these come polyethylene, concrete pumps, high-capacity transformers, and consumer goods from colour televisions to wallpaper.
How has the trade changed over the last decade?
Quickly. Ten years ago exports were almost entirely medicaments; today bottled water, soft drinks and vaccines have moved to the front, while medicaments’ share has fallen. On the import side copper leads the growth, together with agricultural produce. Goods turnover almost doubled and reached a record in 2025, with the balance swinging from surplus into deficit in the middle years and back to surplus.
What is happening beyond trade?
In 2026 the relationship was upgraded politically. Uzbekistan’s president made the first state visit to Georgia in 23 years, the two sides signed a Strategic Partnership Declaration and agreements on customs, digital and education, and Tashkent decided to open an embassy in Georgia. The economic backbone remains the 1995 Free Trade Agreement, and the stated goal is to lift trade to one billion dollars. Tourism is rising too: more than 21,000 Uzbek tourists visited Georgia in 2025.
Why does transport matter most?
For landlocked Uzbekistan, Georgia is an outlet to the Black Sea along the Middle Corridor. Uzbekistan is building a terminal in the Poti Free Industrial Zone, and the corridor’s share of its freight has more than doubled in recent years. This logistics role, not the current product mix, is the relationship’s most durable interest, though it depends on real port capacity and cargo volumes that are still modest.
This analysis was prepared by the academic team of the Business and Technology University (BTU) together with BTUAI, in Tbilisi, Georgia. It draws on ITC Trade Map data and publicly available reports and is analytical in nature. The full report, with tables and charts, is attached as a separate file.
Citation: Business and Technology University (BTU) & BTUAI. (2026). Trade and Beyond: Georgia and Uzbekistan. Tbilisi, Georgia.