US to supply soybeans and cotton to Uzbekistan

The United States will supply soybeans and cotton to Uzbekistan. The agreement was reached on November 6 during talks between President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in Washington, D.C.

The discussions focused on further strengthening strategic partnership, increasing trade and investment cooperation, and implementing joint projects across multiple economic sectors. The sides expressed satisfaction with the consistent development of bilateral Uzbekistan–U.S. relations.

“Over the past years, bilateral trade has quadrupled, reaching nearly $1 billion. More than 300 U.S. companies are operating successfully in Uzbekistan, and major cooperation projects are being implemented in industry, agriculture, energy, and innovation,” the presidential press service said in a statement.

Both parties emphasized their interest in reinforcing trade ties, establishing effective mechanisms for regional cooperation, and creating a bilateral Coordinating Council. Special attention was given to agricultural cooperation. Preliminary agreements have been reached on the supply of U.S. soybeans and cotton, as well as on the introduction of advanced American drip irrigation technologies.

Following the talks, the sides agreed to intensify practical cooperation by establishing an investment platform to support joint projects.

Notably, in August of this year it was reported that Uzbekistan—traditionally a major cotton exporter—plans to purchase cotton from the United States despite its own high production capacity. Inomjon Abdurakhmonov, Head of the Foreign Trade Department at Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade, stated at the time that the move aims to strengthen the presence of Uzbek textile products in premium global markets.

Earlier, President Mirziyoyev also held meetings with John Jovanovich, President of the U.S. Export–Import Bank, and Scott Nathan, CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).