Uzbekistan wants to be part of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In this regard, the country is implementing a number of measures. The competitiveness of domestic enterprises will be enhanced as will be their technical and technological potential. To avoid the negative consequences from Uzbekistan’s accession to the WTO, this process is planned to be implemented on a comprehensive assessment basis for the readiness of certain sectors of the economy, various groups of domestic commodity producers and the conformity of the state regulation mechanisms used.

To strengthen the country’s position in the negotiation process on accession to the WTO, and to ensure the protection of sensitive sectors of the economy, such as the textile, food, automotive and agriculture sectors, customs duties rates will be adjusted.

The package of measures also implies institutional reforms, the development of an international legal framework on a bilateral and multilateral basis, improvement of national legislation with further liberalization of the foreign trade regime and consistent harmonization with international norms and rules of the World Trade Organization.

The procedure for joining the WTO consists of several stages. This is a long process that can take several years. There are 164 members of the World Trade Organization. That's 84 per cent of the 196 countries in the world. The WTO covers more than 94 per cent of the total volume of commodity flows.