The United States is stepping up efforts to build economic ties with Central Asia, focusing on critical raw materials, transport and technology as it seeks to counter China's influence in the region, a report by Poland's Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's October 19 visit to Uzbekistan, accompanied by nearly 300 American business representatives, marked another step in Washington's growing engagement with the region, with agreements worth a combined $12bn signed between the two countries.

The visit also highlighted Uzbekistan's increasingly prominent position in US policy towards Central Asia, potentially putting it ahead of Kazakhstan, traditionally the region's main interlocutor with Washington, the OSW analysis by Daria Zielińska said.

Rubio attended a meeting of foreign ministers from the five Central Asian countries and the United States in the C5+1 format, as well as a session of the US-Uzbekistan Business and Investment Council, where he met President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He also announced that President Donald Trump planned to visit Uzbekistan in 2027.

The agreements signed during the visit cover banking, transport, critical raw materials and agricultural technology, while discussions also addressed aviation, advanced technologies and space cooperation. Uzbekistan joined the US-led Artemis Accords, which establish non-binding principles for peaceful space exploration.

Washington and Tashkent are also considering launching a direct air connection between Tashkent and Miami, Rubio said after the meetings.

The visit was Rubio's first to Central Asia and followed a period of intensified diplomatic activity since Trump hosted the five Central Asian presidents at a C5+1 summit in Washington in November 2025. US administration officials, including senior State Department representatives and White House special envoys, have since made 11 visits to the region, OSW said.

The shift reflects a change in the priorities underpinning US engagement, which historically centred on security cooperation linked to the war in neighbouring Afghanistan. Economic interests, particularly access to minerals needed for advanced technologies and industrial supply chains, have increasingly taken precedence.

Washington is seeking to establish alternative sources of critical raw materials and reduce its reliance on Chinese supplies. Central Asia, with substantial mineral resources and its position between China, Russia and Europe, offers opportunities to diversify supply chains while developing alternative trade and transport routes.

Since November 2025, the United States has signed agreements on critical raw materials with all Central Asian countries except Turkmenistan, according to OSW.

The administration is also seeking to make its economic engagement more attractive to regional governments by tailoring cooperation to their priorities. This approach forms part of Washington's broader competition with China, whose presence is particularly strong in the region's mining and transport sectors.

For Central Asian governments, closer relations with the United States offer a way to diversify their economic partnerships and reduce their dependence on Russia and China, while raising the region's international profile.

Uzbekistan gains prominence

Uzbekistan's growing importance in Washington's calculations is a notable development for Kazakhstan, which initiated the C5+1 format with the United States in 2013 and has traditionally sought to position itself as the region's leading economic and diplomatic power.

Despite Rubio's earlier announcement that he intended to visit all five Central Asian countries, his October trip took him only to Samarkand, where he met Mirziyoyev rather than holding separate meetings with the other regional leaders. Trump's potential visit would further underline the attention Washington is paying to Uzbekistan.

OSW said the apparent preference for Tashkent could reflect the relatively limited economic influence Russia retains in Uzbekistan compared with Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan is not a member of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union, unlike Kazakhstan, which is more closely integrated into the bloc's economic structures.

Kazakhstan nevertheless remains an important partner for Washington. Since the November 2025 summit, the two countries have concluded 29 agreements worth nearly $17bn, covering areas including industry, energy, mining and digitalisation.

One of the projects involves tungsten mining and investors linked to Trump's sons, illustrating the growing overlap between US commercial interests and the administration's diplomatic engagement in the region.

Trump has also invited both Mirziyoyev and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the next G20 summit in Miami. Kazakhstan joined the Abraham Accords last year, while both countries have been included in other US-led diplomatic initiatives, including the Board of Peace.

The remaining three Central Asian states occupy a less prominent position in Washington's regional strategy. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have smaller domestic markets and less economic potential than their larger neighbours, while Turkmenistan's isolationist foreign policy limits opportunities for engagement. Chinese companies also have a substantial presence in the mining and transport industries in these countries.

Economic cooperation takes priority

The growing focus on business marks a departure from earlier US policy, when democracy promotion and human rights were important elements of Washington's relations with Central Asian governments.

OSW said the decision to stop pressing regional governments on democratisation and human rights had become particularly apparent since Trump began his second term. Economic cooperation was now the principal driver of US engagement, with Washington pursuing partnerships largely irrespective of the domestic political systems of its counterparts.

Security cooperation has not disappeared. The United States maintained military links with Central Asian states after withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2021, while regional governments continue to purchase American military equipment and participate in US security assistance programmes. US military aircraft also make refuelling stops in Turkmenistan.

However, the economic agenda now dominates high-level diplomatic contacts, reflecting the administration's interest in securing access to resources and expanding opportunities for American companies.

The B5+1 forum, which brings together business representatives from the United States and the five Central Asian countries, is another channel for developing commercial ties. Its latest meeting was held in Bishkek this year.

For the Central Asian governments, the expanded US presence provides additional room to manoeuvre between major external powers and attract investment. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan also hope that greater international attention will help promote their tourism industries.

The competition with China is likely to remain a central feature of Washington's approach. Beijing has established a strong position in regional infrastructure, transport and raw materials, giving it an advantage in sectors that are now among the main priorities for the United States.

OSW said the willingness of Central Asian countries to develop partnerships outside the region, combined with Washington's offer of closer economic cooperation, was likely to strengthen the American position.

The new approach could also support economic development without requiring governments in the region to undertake political reforms or make progress on democratisation, the report said.