News
Italy – Uzbekistan Trade Relations on the Silk Road
2026-06-17
Exports and imports between Italy and Uzbekistan have been
actively growing in recent years, and Italy is one of Uzbekistan's important
trading partners in Europe.
Key figures
● In 2023, bilateral trade turnover reached approximately
502.5 million US dollars, which was approximately 30% more than in 2022.
● In 2024, Uzbekistan's imports from Italy amounted to
approximately 368 million dollars.
● In 2024, Uzbekistan's exports to Italy amounted to
approximately 35 million dollars.
What does Italy mainly sell to Uzbekistan?
● Industrial and textile machinery;
● Electronic devices;
● Medical and optical equipment;
● Pharmaceutical products;
● Automobiles and spare parts.
What does Uzbekistan sell to Italy?
● Textiles and knitted fabrics;
● Cotton;
● Copper;
● Clothing;
● Agricultural products.
Business opportunities
In trade between Italy and Uzbekistan, the most promising
directions are considered: textiles and clothing; agricultural products (dried
fruits, fruits, vegetables); construction materials; pharmaceuticals;
industrial machinery and equipment.
Route stages
Uzbekistan →
Kazakhstan: cargo is transported from Tashkent to the port of Aktau or Kuryk by
rail.
Caspian Sea: wagons or containers are transported by ferry
to the port of Baku/Alat.
Azerbaijan →
Georgia: Movement is carried out via the railway network, including the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway infrastructure.
Georgia →
Europe
Two main options:
Poti/Batumi →
Black Sea →
Bulgaria/Romania →
Italy;
Or via Turkey directly to the European railway network.
Europe →
Italy: Final delivery is made in Italian logistics hubs, such as Trieste, Milan
or Bologna.
Total transit time 10 - 18 days.
Key advantages
● Bypassing Russian territory.
● Full multimodal chain (rail + ferry + rail).
● Function of a transit hub in Georgia (Akhalkalaki, Poti,
Batumi).
● Direct connection to European logistics centers and
Italian ports.
Currently, cargo transportation between Italy and Uzbekistan
is mainly carried out via several routes:
1. Middle corridor
Fastest growing destination in recent years: Italy → Slovenia/Croatia → Turkey → Georgia → Azerbaijan → Caspian Sea (ferry) → Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan
Advantages:
● Relatively fast transit;
● Bypassing the territory of Russia;
● It is a good option for container cargo.
2. Sea + rail route
Italian ports (Trieste or Genoa) → Georgian ports (Batumi or Poti) → Georgia-Azerbaijan railway
→ Caspian Sea → Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan.
3. Air shipment
Route: Milan / Rome →
Tashkent
Advantages:
● 1–5 days;
● For high value or perishable goods.
Disadvantage:
● It is the most expensive.
4. Road transport
Italy →
Slovenia → Croatia → Serbia → Bulgaria → Turkey → Georgia → Azerbaijan → Caspian Sea → Kazakhstan → Uzbekistan.
suitable for:
● for partial loads (LTL);
● For small and medium volume batches.
Since the railway is an ecological, relatively cheap, fast
and safe type of transport, in the near future, the direction of the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will become the most convenient transit route between
Italy and Uzbekistan. Because the advantages of this route will be as follows:
● The transit time in the multimodal chain is reduced, only
by ferrying on the Caspian Sea.
● Cargo will be transported from Baku port to Istanbul via
the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
● Turkey's rail connection with the European rail network,
from Uzbekistan to Italy and also vice versa, from Italy to Uzbekistan, gives a
distinct strong advantage to shipments.
● Rail is slower than ground or air freight services, but
predictable because trains follow a fixed schedule.
Prerequisites
● On the CASCA+ transit multimodal route (a joint initiative
of the railways of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Turkey), the Uzbekistan railway container operator announced the expansion
of shipments in October 2025.
● According to Mansurjon Rasulev, director of the Uzbekistan
Investment Promotion Agency, the Uzbekistan government is actively working with
Georgia in the direction of researching investment opportunities in logistics
infrastructure.
● Uzbekistan and Italy have started deepening the strategic
partnership between the countries through negotiations at the level of leaders.
● In February this year, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan
agreed on a roadmap for deepening relations. This will strengthen the position
of Uzbekistan as a new economic center connecting Europe and Central Asia.
● "It is impossible to talk about the connectivity agenda without Georgia", - these words belong to the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.
Zurab Maghradze
Materials used:
daryo.uz / esteri.it / tradingeconomics.com
gtaic.ai / tradingeconomics.com / ciuz.info