Key Points
In December 2023, the United States approved Paraguayan beef imports for the first time since 1997, ending a 26-year ban. Fourteen months later, Paraguay crossed the $2 billion export threshold for the first time in its history. Now the country is pushing further still, into a region no South American meat exporter has seriously targeted: Central Asia.
What Happened
Uzbekistan’s Committee for Veterinary and Livestock Development formally approved the import of Paraguayan beef, sheep meat and animal byproducts following a visit to Asunción by its chief veterinary officer, Shukhrat Djabbarov. The Uzbek delegation inspected Paraguay’s central laboratory at Senacsa, the national animal health agency, and toured authorized slaughterhouses to verify traceability systems and sanitary standards. The clearance covers both bovine and ovine products — a significant detail, since Paraguay’s sheep sector remains small and export-oriented primarily toward Qatar, and new outlets could help develop an industry that has struggled to find international buyers.
The visit coincided with a broader Uzbek mission led by Investment Minister Laziz Kudratov, who met with Paraguayan officials to discuss an industrial cooperation program for 2026–2027 covering agribusiness, energy, mining, chemicals and textiles. The agenda includes launching joint projects under Paraguay’s Maquila regime, which offers tax incentives for export-oriented production, and establishing regular supply arrangements for meat products alongside Uzbek fertilizer and textile exports. Both countries are also negotiating the creation of an intergovernmental commission to institutionalize the relationship.
The Diplomatic Architecture
The market opening is not accidental. President Santiago Peña traveled to Tashkent in December 2025, becoming the first Latin American leader to make an official visit to Uzbekistan. He met with President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, and the two governments agreed to deepen ties across trade, investment, energy, food security and connectivity. During the visit, Paraguay and Uzbekistan signed a protocol concluding bilateral market-access negotiations linked to Uzbekistan’s ongoing accession to the World Trade Organization. Once Tashkent joins the WTO, Paraguay will receive preferential tariff treatment on a defined list of goods.
Why It Matters Beyond the Headlines
Paraguay is the world’s eighth-largest beef exporter, running a herd of nearly 14 million cattle across some 145,000 operations. Its meat exports hit a record $2.17 billion in 2025, shipping to 71 destinations. Chile remains the top buyer, followed by Taiwan, the United States, Israel and Brazil. The U.S. market opened in late 2023, and USDA projects Paraguay will ship around 490,000 tons of beef in 2026, with South Korea and Japan potentially opening access by 2027 or 2028.
But the pattern of expansion tells a story that goes beyond individual deals. Paraguay still cannot export to China — its diplomatic recognition of Taiwan blocks that door — which means every new market matters disproportionately. Uzbekistan, with 36 million people and a growing middle class, is modest by global standards. Yet it signals that Asunción is willing to invest diplomatic capital in markets no competitor has bothered to cultivate. Uzbekistan is simultaneously negotiating WTO membership, positioning itself as Central Asia’s most trade-friendly economy, and looking for protein suppliers outside its traditional Russian and Kazakh orbit.
For Paraguay, the strategic calculus is clear. Every market it opens that does not depend on China or the United States insulates its beef industry from the tariff wars and geopolitical realignments reshaping global trade. Central Asia was uncharted territory for South American meat. It is not anymore.