Uzbekistan and U.S. sign historic customs cooperation and mutual assistance agreement

In Washington, a bilateral meeting took place between the Chairman of the Customs Committee, Akmalhoja Mavlonov, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, Troy Miller, according to the press service of the Customs Committee.

It was noted that the delegation led by the Chairman is currently in the United States, conducting meetings and negotiations aimed at strengthening cooperation in customs matters. In particular, the heads of the Uzbek and U.S. customs services signed an agreement on "Cooperation and Mutual Assistance."

This agreement will allow the two countries to exchange information in the customs field and strengthen cooperation in combating drug trafficking, human trafficking, transnational criminal groups, money laundering, and customs duty evasion.

The committee highlighted that the U.S. has signed similar bilateral agreements with 17 other countries worldwide, and Uzbekistan has now become the 18th country to join this list.

The negotiations also covered inviting U.S. border and customs targeting specialists to Uzbekistan and providing opportunities for Uzbek specialists to enhance their qualifications in the U.S.

Akmalhoja Mavlonov extended an invitation to Troy Miller to visit Uzbekistan, the report said.

During the visit, the Uzbek delegation is scheduled to familiarize themselves with the operations of the U.S. National Targeting Center, the Canine Academy, San Antonio International Airport in Texas, the World Trade Bridge customs post in Laredo, and the Texas-Mexico International Railroad Crossing.

For reference, Uzbekistan's external trade with the U.S. has increased by 48% over the past six years. In the first eight months of 2024, this figure grew by 64% compared to the previous year.