TRADE OPENNESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN UZBEKISTAN AND KAZAKHSTAN: POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR CENTRAL ASIA

Abstract

This thesis explores how trade openness influences economic growth in Central Asia through a comparative lens focused on Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Although both economies are relatively “open” by the standard trade-to-GDP measure, they are open in different ways, and that difference matters for policy. World Bank/WITS indicators for 2023 show Uzbekistan’s trade is about 66.11% of GDP, driven by imports (41.68% of GDP) that exceed exports (24.42%), producing a sizable negative trade balance (−17.26% of GDP).[1] Kazakhstan’s trade is about 61.96% of GDP, with exports (34.51% of GDP) exceeding imports (27.45%) and a positive trade balance (7.06% of GDP).