Uzbekistan and Georgia are moving their relationship into a new phase of practical industrial partnership, agreeing to implement around seventy trade and investment projects with a combined value close to one billion US dollars. At the heart of this agenda is the creation of a logistics and production hub in the Georgian port city of Poti, designed to become a key gateway for Uzbek and regional manufacturers to reach Western markets.
New trade and investment agenda between Uzbekistan and Georgia
The recent high-level visit from Uzbekistan to Tbilisi has turned long-discussed intentions into a concrete package of joint projects. The two sides agreed on dozens of new initiatives in trade, industry, construction materials, electrical engineering, transport and logistics, tourism, and digital financial services. Taken together, they are meant to shift the focus from simple commodity exchange to deeper industrial cooperation and coordinated entry into third-country markets.
Uzbekistan and Georgia have set an ambitious goal: to raise their mutual trade volume to around one billion US dollars in the coming years. Existing trade flows have grown steadily, supported by a free trade agreement and a diversifying export basket, but both sides see significant unused potential. In particular, there is room to expand exports of processed industrial goods, including textiles and apparel, leather and footwear products, electrical and household appliances, chemical inputs, automotive components, construction materials and services in transport and logistics.
This new package of projects is backed by a broader roadmap for cooperation up to 2027, under which Uzbekistan and Georgia plan to promote joint production, technology transfer and mutual investment. For international businesses, it signals that the two governments intend to build a predictable regulatory and financial environment and actively support cross-border partnerships rather than leaving companies to navigate the markets alone.
Poti logistics and production hub — gateway to Western markets
A key pillar of the new cooperation is the decision to establish a trade, logistics and production center in the free industrial zone of Poti on the Black Sea. Uzbek officials openly describe Georgia as a very important transport hub, offering Uzbekistan a natural exit to the Black Sea and, through it, European and Mediterranean markets. The Poti project is designed to turn this geographic advantage into a working platform for exporters and manufacturers.
Within the Poti zone, the partners plan to build modern warehouses for Uzbek and regional goods, a permanent showroom and exhibition space for industrial and consumer products, and a production area where companies will be able to complete final stages of manufacturing. This may include finishing, assembly, customization, packaging and quality control for textiles and clothing, leather goods, electrical engineering products, household appliances and other industrial items.
By moving the final production stages closer to the port, Uzbek and partner firms can adapt products to the standards and tastes of different destination markets, reduce transport costs, and speed up delivery times. Goods processed in the Poti hub will be exported onward to third countries via Georgia, using the capacity of the port and the wider Middle Corridor that links Central Asia with the Black Sea and Europe. This turns Poti into a practical bridge between manufacturing clusters in Uzbekistan and consumers in the European Union, Turkey, the Middle East and beyond.
For Georgia, the hub promises to attract new industrial activity to its free zone, reinforce its role as a transit and logistics platform and create additional demand for local services in transport, warehousing, customs clearance, business consulting and hospitality. For Uzbekistan, it is a way to place its exporters closer to end markets while keeping core production and employment inside the country.
Industrial cooperation, finance and regulatory support
The Poti hub does not stand alone. It is part of a larger architecture of industrial cooperation that Tashkent and Tbilisi are now building. The two sides have agreed on programs of joint work in textiles and light industry, electrical engineering, the production of construction materials and other manufacturing activities, all tied to a shared objective of supplying both domestic markets and third countries.
To support these plans, Uzbekistan and Georgia are expanding their institutional framework. Business associations will create joint councils to match companies and identify viable projects, while a bilateral investment fund is expected to co-finance promising ventures and reduce risk for private investors. A package of intergovernmental documents covering customs cooperation, transport, digital technologies and other regulatory issues has been prepared to make cross-border operations more predictable and less bureaucratic.
The partners also aim to make full use of Georgia’s ports, including Poti and Batumi, as part of the Middle Corridor. For Central Asian manufacturers, these ports offer a shorter and potentially faster route to European and regional markets compared with traditional routes. If the planned logistics and customs simplifications are implemented, companies could set up supply chains that move raw materials and semi-finished goods from Uzbekistan to Georgia for final processing and onward distribution under competitive timeframes and costs.
This emerging corridor is not limited to goods alone. Digital banking and modern financial instruments are part of the agenda, aiming to simplify settlements, working capital financing and investment flows between the two countries. That combination of physical infrastructure and financial connectivity is important for sectors where inventory, design and seasonal demand must be managed carefully, such as furniture, interiors and building materials.
Implications for international furniture, construction and interior brands
For international companies in furniture, construction, interior and exterior solutions, home appliances and design services, the Uzbekistan–Georgia agenda creates a new platform worth watching closely. The Poti hub can serve as an efficient assembly, finishing and distribution point for products manufactured in Uzbekistan or elsewhere in Central Asia and destined for European and regional markets.
Furniture and interior brands could use the Poti free industrial zone to set up joint ventures with Uzbek and Georgian partners, combining cost-competitive manufacturing from Central Asia with Georgia’s logistical advantages. Showrooms and exhibition areas in the hub offer a ready-made space for permanent product displays, business meetings and sector-specific fairs targeting buyers from the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
Construction material producers, including those supplying flooring, wall systems, sanitary ware and other interior elements, may find opportunities to integrate into project pipelines in both countries. The focus on industrial cooperation and the stated interest in building materials suggest that large development and infrastructure projects will continue to appear, opening demand for high-quality imported and locally assembled solutions.
At the same time, the push for digital banking, coordinated investment programs and a more supportive regulatory environment can make it easier for foreign firms to finance inventories, manage regional distribution and mitigate currency and payment risks. Companies looking for a strategic base between Central Asia and the Black Sea can view Uzbekistan and Georgia as complementary partners: one offering a growing manufacturing ecosystem, the other providing maritime access and a flexible logistics platform.
In practical terms, this means the coming years are likely to bring new tenders, partnership proposals and investment openings tied to the Poti hub and the wider trade and industrial programs. International players in furniture, construction and design who move early to understand the regulatory details, identify potential partners and test logistics routes stand to gain a first-mover advantage in a corridor that is only now starting to take its modern shape.
