Uzbekistan expands auto industry with $122 million plant

The Central Asian nation is set to launch a $122 million auto plant / Photo: Shutterstock, image editor: Adelina Mamedova

A $122 million auto plant will be launched in Uzbekistan’s Sirdaryo region, bordering Kazakhstan, next year. The project is being implemented jointly with Chinese companies, the government said in a statement.

Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the project during a speech at a regional assembly session. However, he did not provide details such as the models of Chinese auto brands expected to be produced at the plant.

He said the region would attract $3 billion in investment and increase export volumes to $500 million. The president also mentioned the Central Asian International Industrial Cooperation Center, which was opened in the region jointly with Kazakhstan. By the end of the first quarter of the year, 14 enterprises worth a total of $300 million will be launched at the center. A total of 40 new projects worth $720 million are planned for 2026.

In January 2024, Uzbekistan launched its $160 million joint venture, the BYD Uzbekistan Factory, designed to assemble about 50,000 electric cars from the prominent Chinese brand BYD per year. Currently, the Chazor and Song Plus Champion models are produced there, with new models planned for launch in the coming years.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstani company Astana Group has invested roughly $400 million in its Astana Motors Manufacturing Kazakhstan plant in Almaty. Commissioned earlier this year, the facility produces passenger cars of well-known Chinese brands such as Haval, Chery, and Changan.