Uzbek companies simplify participation in Belarusian exchange auctions without depositing a deposit

Companies accredited by the Republican Commodity Exchange of Uzbekistan (UzRTSB) now have the opportunity to participate in trading on the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange (BUTB) without the need to deposit a guarantee fund.

This decision was made by the BUTB board of directors as part of the roadmap for developing trade, economic, social, and humanitarian cooperation between Belarus and Uzbekistan for the period 2026–2030, according to BUTB itself.

Previously, new clients of BUTB were required to deposit funds to ensure the fulfillment of obligations under transactions on the exchange and the agreement on the provision of exchange services. However, this requirement no longer applies to companies accredited in UzRTSB.

Furthermore, a special information section has been created on the UzRTSB website for Uzbek entrepreneurs. It presents information on goods available for export and import on BUTB, the schedule of trading sessions, daily quotes, and registers of purchase and sale applications.

A similar section with data on UzRTSB is available on the BUTB website.

The expansion of cooperation between the two exchanges is based on a strategic partnership agreement signed by BUTB and UzRTSB in February 2026. This agreement provides for mutual access for Belarusian and Uzbek companies to the markets of both countries, information exchange, and the implementation of joint projects.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of BUTB, Alexander Osmolovsky, called this decision a new stage in the cooperation of the two countries in the field of exchange activities. He noted that deeper interaction should contribute to increasing the number of trading participants, improving liquidity, and creating conditions for growing mutual trade.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of UzRTSB, Asadulla Kayumov, stated that the abolition of the deposit requirement reduces the financial burden on participants and simplifies business entry into the commodity exchange markets of both countries.

Currently, Uzbekistan ranks third among all countries represented on BUTB by the volume of commodity turnover. From January to September 2026, the volume of transactions involving Uzbek companies increased by 29% compared to the same period in 2025.

At present, 307 Uzbek companies are accredited to trade on BUTB, which is 55 more than at the beginning of 2026. Two of them have the status of exchange brokers.

According to new World Bank forecasts, the development of the Trans-Caspian transport corridor could lead to an increase in Uzbekistan's exports to $15 billion and imports to $78 billion by 2040. This forecast is presented in a new World Bank report dedicated to the Trans-Caspian transport corridor.

Calculations show that the total growth in foreign trade volume will amount to $93 billion compared to 2023 figures for the period from 2023 to 2040. It is important to note that this refers specifically to the projected increase relative to the 2023 level, not the overall volume of Uzbekistan's foreign trade in 2040.

The World Bank views the Trans-Caspian transport corridor as a critically important route connecting Asia and Europe through Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Turkey. The report indicates that the development and improvement of the corridor's infrastructure could increase trade volume more than threefold and halve delivery times by 2040.

Provided that investments in infrastructure are implemented alongside reforms simplifying trade and transport processes, cargo flows are expected to increase up to fourfold, and transportation times to decrease by two and a half times.

According to World Bank estimates, at least $25 billion in investments will be required by 2040 to eliminate major infrastructure obstacles in the countries involved in the project. Furthermore, an additional nearly $30 billion is needed for the development of roads, logistics centers, terminals, rolling stock, and digital systems.

This study covers Uzbekistan together with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey.