The list as Gazeta.uz itemises it: fresh fruit and vegetables, grain and grain products, sugar and confectionery, processed fruit and vegetables, soft drinks, plastics, cotton and cotton fibre, textiles and clothing, construction materials, ceramics, glass, metal structures and iron and steel, machinery, electrical equipment, some automotive components, and furniture. Daryo puts the count at around 20; the itemised list is Gazeta’s.
The decision followed the two countries’ intergovernmental commission in Aktau, with both prime ministers present.
Davron Vakhabov, who chairs Uzbekistan’s chamber of commerce, said the business community had been raising the issue of the barriers for a long time and that it was a real problem. Kazakhstan’s ambassador, Yerali Tugzhanov, called the pace of the decision exceptional and said Kazakhstan could expand exports in a further 261 product categories.
Kanat Sharlapayev, speaking for Kazakh entrepreneurs, said logistics and border problems still need addressing. The stated target is $10 billion of annual trade.
Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and Uzbekistan an observer. This removal was agreed bilaterally.