Construction has begun in Uzbekistan on a new 28-km electrified railway line, Khavast–Dashtabad. The route will run between the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions, south of Tashkent, and is expected to increase the capacity of one of the country’s key rail corridors — the Tashkent–Samarkand line. At the same time, the project cost, completion timeline, and future traffic parameters have not yet been officially disclosed.

China has carried out its first multimodal transport operation using the TIR system. A shipment of auto parts was delivered from China to Uzbekistan through a combined rail-and-road route. The cargo was first transported by rail to the China–Kyrgyzstan border, and then moved by truck through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan.

The use of the TIR system helped simplify border crossings and reduce delivery times. For the region, this is an important development, as multimodal solutions are becoming increasingly востребованы amid growing international trade and the need for faster transit.

It is also worth noting that China joined the TIR system relatively recently, in 2018. The development of this segment was later slowed by coronavirus restrictions and was effectively interrupted for several years. Even so, within a short period China has already launched several TIR routes and established border logistics hubs offering a full range of services under this format.

Overall, this shows that China is steadily expanding the use of TIR in international logistics and strengthening transport links with Central Asian countries.

Uzbekistan is planning to eliminate customs duties on production inputs for 15 categories of goods — ranging from confectionery and baby food to sunflower oil and beverages.

The decision addresses a “tariff inversion” issue: in many cases, importing finished products is currently cheaper than producing them domestically due to duties on raw materials. As a result, local manufacturers lose competitiveness.

The goal is to reduce production costs and increase utilization of domestic manufacturing capacity, especially amid growing import restrictions and reliance on supplies from CIS countries.

This is only the first step: the list is currently limited to 15 categories, but authorities are open to expanding it based on business demand.

The Government of Uzbekistan has approved a new procedure for issuing and using permits for international road transport. The updated system introduces unified rules for both domestic and foreign carriers.

Permits will now clearly define transportation conditions and will be categorized into bilateral, transit, third-country, and universal permits.

What this means for the market:

— faster border crossings

— more transparent operating conditions

— fewer discrepancies between countries

In practice, Uzbekistan is streamlining its permit system and making international road transport operations more efficient.

Chinese logistics company Neptune Logistics has launched a multimodal dry port on the southern outskirts of Alashankou, just 6 km from the Dostyk–Alashankou railway border crossing.

The logistics complex covers approximately 13.3 hectares and includes a container yard, customs warehouse, bonded warehouse, hazardous cargo storage, and temperature-controlled facilities for reefer cargo.

The new dry port offers a full range of logistics services, including cargo consolidation and LCL handling, hazardous cargo storage, reefer container operations, storage of empty and loaded containers, customs clearance, and cross-border trucking.

According to the operator, the launch is expected to significantly reduce transit times across Eurasian routes: around 3 days to Central Asia, about 7 days to Moscow, and approximately 10 days to Europe. The project is set to strengthen the role of the Dostyk–Alashankou crossing as one of the key land corridors between China and Eurasia.