Uzbekistan’s dry fruits reach global markets

Driven by a new wave of ambitious entrepreneurs and supported by the International Trade Centre (ITC), Uzbekistan is forging links to new export markets for its dry fruits through international standards, safety certifications, and growing business confidence.

This ‘soft connectivity’ is bridging Central Asia with distant markets, turning local harvests into global delights. It’s also speeding up the country’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Uzbekistan, a landlocked country in the world’s largest landlocked region, Central Asia, is now seeing its trade move beyond neighbouring countries to enter global markets.

From regional player to global exporter

Davron Dadakhonov, General Director of Global Export, remembers when his world was smaller.

‘When we started, our business was limited to only a few countries—India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China,’ he says.

Entering the European market seemed daunting due to strict safety regulations and quality demands. However, through ITC’s support, Davron’s team overhauled their operations, earning the globally recognized FSSC 22000 food safety certification and the coveted EU Organic certification.

The results were immediate. ‘Now, our export geography is huge. It covers 51 countries, and we are exporting our dry fruits to 18 European countries,’ Davron notes.

This massive expansion earned Global Export the title of ‘Best Exporter’ from the Uzbek government, a recognition Davron says validates the sector's potential. ‘Thanks to the project, we are now the biggest dry fruits exporter in Uzbekistan,’ he adds.

The bravery to build long-term ties

For Ulugbek Zakhritdinov, CEO of TRUSTAGRO, the journey was about moving from uncertainty to stability. He entered the industry almost by accident over a decade ago, navigating a market filled with middlemen and short-term deals.

Partnering with ITC provided Ulugbek with something more valuable than just technical advice: the courage to think big. ‘If you ask what I am most proud of, it is braveness,’ Ulugbek says. 

‘A business cannot be more educated or experienced than its owner. ITC helped us get clients and gain food safety knowledge, which gave me the confidence to act.’

This shift in mindset allowed TRUSTAGRO to move from dependence on a single regional customer to securing annual contracts with major international buyers. ‘Predictability is a big advantage in business,’ Ulugbek explains. ‘Big businesses work with long-term contracts; they fix the price and the volume. It makes us strong and gives us stability.’

Ulugbek believes that the global supply chain is opening up, and Uzbekistan is seizing new opportunities. At every trade fair trip facilitated by ITC, he has signed new clients. ‘Five years ago, we couldn't imagine that companies from Uzbekistan, a landlocked country, could export to Guatemala, Brazil, or Australia,’ he says.

25 November 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Sardor Abaskhanov tells ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton about the work his association is doing through ITC’s support.

Photo by ITC

Connecting through quality and knowledge

The success of individual exporters is underpinned by a broader systemic change. Sardor Abaskhanov, Chairman of the Association of Processors and Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables of Uzbekistan, sees this as a collective victory.

‘The most important thing I am proud of is that we could unify our businesses,’ Sardor says. ‘We have changed the mindset of the people: we need to work on quality.’

Supplying Europe was once ‘a dream,’ according to Sardor, but by aligning with international standards—the ‘invisible infrastructure’ of trade—that dream is now a reality.

To ensure this growth is sustainable, the Association and ITC have implemented a ‘training of trainers’ model. By educating local experts who then train others, they have reached over 1,300 people across the country, ensuring the next generation of technicians and farmers can maintain these high standards.

A foundation for the future

This focus on standards and quality control does more than just sell apricots and raisins; it prepares the private sector for Uzbekistan's impending accession to the WTO. As the country moves toward membership—a process ITC is actively supporting—businesses that have already adapted to global rules will be the first to thrive.

‘If we accede to the WTO, it opens doors to new markets,’ Davron says. ‘There will be equal conditions for all WTO members. It will help us to explore even more markets.’

By harmonizing procedures and digitizing operations, ITC is helping Uzbekistan weave itself into the fabric of global trade connectivity. For entrepreneurs like Davron, Ulugbek, and Sardor, the path is clear: the distance to global markets has never been shorter.

About the Trade Promotion East project

The project focuses on competitiveness and sustainable export growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and improving the capacities of business support organizations to provide quality services to SMEs. Furthermore, the programme will foster regional exchange and knowledge sharing facilitated among SMEs and business support organizations from partner countries.

Agribusiness was identified as a viable priority sector for assistance across all four countries as it provides significant potential for the social inclusion of vulnerable groups and plays a particular role in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

To demonstrate tangible changes leading to sustainable and inclusive growth, the project focuses on selected product groups in each country.