UZBEKISTAN WORKS ON INCREASING TEXTILE EXPORT TO EU AND UK

On April 23, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a government session on ensuring stability in the textile industry and mitigating the impact of the pandemic on the sector.

Currently, more than 2,000 enterprises operate in the textile industry with employment of 365,000 people. Over the past 3 years, the export potential in textile has doubled. In 2019 goods worth $ 1.6 bn were delivered to overseas markets. The country has the potential to bring exports up to $ 15 billion and provide employment of more than 3m people.

Summary:

1. it is planned to increase the production of bespoke textiles 4-5 times within 5 years, secure the competitiveness of exported goods by diversifying the textile collection and improving its quality.

2. Promising markets for Uzbek textiles are EU and UK. Uzbekistan is negotiating with the EU to obtain the status of a beneficiary of "GSP+" - zero duties, by making it easier for Uzbekistan to export its products to the European Union.

3. An active dialogue is underway with IFC to expedite the receipt of a BSI certificate on textile.

4. On March 6, 2020, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a milestone decree to end state directives over the production, pricing, and sale of cotton — ending a quota system in place for nearly a century.

5. Minister for Employment and Labor Relations has issued an open letter to the senior leadership of the Cotton Campaign coalition, calling for an end to the boycott on Uzbek cotton. Cotton Campaign noted the positive progress achieved through the implementation of the jointly developed Roadmap, as well as its willingness to help achieve the goal.

6. The latest ILO report on Uzbekistan confirms that “systematic forced labour did not occur during the 2019 cotton harvest” and “systematic or systemic child labour is no longer used during the cotton harvest in Uzbekistan.”