Logistics services in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Uzbekistan is landlocked, so international sea freight moves via road or rail corridors to gateway seaports such as Karachi, Bandar Abbas, Khawr Fakkan and Al Basrah. From Tashkent, these ports are about 2,380 to just over 3,100 km by road. Containerized cargo is then handed to shipping lines serving these ports.

Shippers can use scheduled air services through at least 12 airports, including Tashkent International Airport and other international airports in Bukhara, Namangan, Nukus and Samarkand. Rail is well established, with about 4,642 km of track and rail freight volumes of about 24.6 billion tonne-km. Road and rail links connect to Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, giving options for regional overland traffic and access to coastal gateways.

Freight forwarders and shipping lines like APL, CMA CGM and MSC operate via offices in Tashkent to coordinate multimodal routings for imports and exports.

When comparing freight forwarders in Uzbekistan, look at their experience routing via Karachi, Bandar Abbas, Khawr Fakkan or Al Basrah, since these are the main road gateway ports from Tashkent. Transit distances to these ports range from about 2,380 to more than 3,100 km, so knowledge of road and rail routings through neighboring countries matters.

Uzbekistan’s overall Logistics Performance Index score is 2.6, slightly below the world median of 2.7, with infrastructure and tracking & tracing both at 2.4. Forwarders with strong processes around infrastructure constraints, tracking of consignments and transit-time management can help mitigate these weaknesses. Customs performance is at 2.6, close to the world median of 2.6, so brokers with good working relationships with the Uzbekistan Customs Service are useful. Given major export and import partners such as Switzerland, Russia, China, the UK and Turkey, and membership in the CIS, it is worth checking that the forwarder regularly handles flows on these corridors and understands any bloc-related procedures.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Uzbekistan relies on gateway seaports in neighboring regions because the country is landlocked and has 0 km of coastline. Typical road corridors from Tashkent connect to Karachi in Pakistan at about 2,380 km, Bandar Abbas in Iran at about 2,814 km, Khawr Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates at about 2,979 km, and Al Basrah in Iraq at about 3,143 km.

For shippers using FCL and LCL shipping from and to Uzbekistan, several global shipping lines have offices in Tashkent, including APL, CMA CGM and MSC. These offices support bookings via the overseas gateway ports, with containers trucked between Tashkent and the selected seaport. No all-in FCL or LCL freight rates are listed for these routes.

Air freight in Uzbekistan uses a network of 12 airports with scheduled service. Key international cargo gateways include Tashkent International Airport, Samarkand International Airport, Bukhara International Airport, Namangan International Airport and Nukus International Airport.

Air cargo volume is about 96 million tonne-km in 2023, which suits higher-value or time-sensitive exports like garments, fabric or packaged medicine, and urgent imports such as vehicle parts or aircraft-related items. With 74 airports in total, shippers can use domestic air links to consolidate cargo to the main international hubs before export or after import.

Rail and road freight are central for Uzbekistan, which shares borders with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The rail network extends about 4,642 km and carried roughly 24.6 billion tonne-km in 2021, supporting both domestic distribution and international corridors.

Shorter rail routes from Tashkent include about 906 km to Almaty, 1,613 km to Astana and 2,226 km to Urumqi, giving access to regional hubs. Road freight connects Tashkent to seaports such as Karachi, Bandar Abbas, Khawr Fakkan and Al Basrah, at distances from about 2,380 km up to about 3,143 km. These corridors are used to move containers and truckloads to and from ocean shipping services.

Customs is handled by the Uzbekistan Customs Service, which has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 1992. Uzbekistan is not a member of the WTO and is part of the CIS bloc, which shapes some regional trade arrangements.

The average applied tariff is about 2.56. The LPI customs score is 2.6, matching the world median of 2.6, indicating mid-range customs performance. Export border compliance takes about 16 days, while import border compliance takes about 3 days. For smooth clearance, shippers should ensure accurate commercial invoices, packing lists and transport documents aligned with declarations.