is a project to promote and strengthen German-Uzbek textile business partnership and cooperation throughout the textile production chain, from fibre to fashion. The textile associations GESAMTMASCHE and UZTEKSTILPROM jointly implement the project and inform the public on its progress. The project is financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and supported by sequa gGmbH.
Uzbekistan increasingly moves into the focus of international procurement interest. Over the past decade, the international textile sector has experienced enormous shifts in global economic power and international trade flows. The corona crisis has further accelerated this development and made the structural changes clearly visible. Since Uzbekistan has focused on sustainability in cotton cultivation and promotes state-of-the-art processing in its own country, contacts between German and Uzbek companies have noticeably intensified. Opportunely located on the Silk Road, Uzbekistan is open to trade and has good conditions to become an industry platform for the entire region. Against the background of the vast German consumer market, the German textile and clothing industry with its worldwide leading role in textile technology is predestined as Uzbekistan’s preferred cooperation partner in Europe.
"We take nature’s pristine purity and turn it into comfort and beauty"
The seminar on the TOT program: Effective use of the EU Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+) in Uzbekistan
In recent years, Uzbekistan has been actively developing its economic ties with the European Union, and one of the key tools for this is the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+). In order to increase awareness and effectiveness of the use of GSP+, as well as within the framework of the TOT program, the last seminar of the series organized by GESAMTMASCHE e. V., GIZ Uzbekistan and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Uzbekistan took place in Tashkent on December 17, 2024. It was attended by more than 50 companies of the textile sector offline and more than 20 companies via an online link.
The main purpose of the event was to provide participants with information about the opportunities provided by GSP+, as well as to discuss practical aspects of its application for Uzbek exporters. The seminar participants — representatives of business, government agencies and non—governmental organizations – had a unique opportunity to learn about the advantages of GSP+ and how to properly use this tool to increase export volumes. It was the final event that took place throughout the republic and involved more than 500 participants, entrepreneurs of the textile industry.
The seminar began with a welcome speech from the representative of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Nodira Shotursunova, who is the deputy chairman. Then the participants were introduced to the basics of GSP+, a system that allows developing countries such as Uzbekistan to export goods to the EU on preferential terms, reducing or completely exempting duties.
During the seminar, experts shared practical recommendations on:
One of the key topics of discussion was the challenges faced by Uzbek companies when using GSP+. The participants noted the need to improve information support for business, as well as to increase the level of knowledge about international standards. The experts stressed the importance of creating effective communication mechanisms between government agencies and the private sector.
As examples of successful use of GSP+, cases of Uzbek companies that were able to increase their export volumes thanks to this system were presented. These stories inspired the participants to take active action and introduce new strategies into their work.
The seminar has become an important platform for the exchange of experiences and ideas among the participants. The organizers expressed the hope that the knowledge gained will help Uzbek exporters make the most of the GSP+ opportunities, contributing to the further development of the country’s economy and strengthening its position in the international arena.
In conclusion, the participants thanked the organizers for the event and expressed their desire to continue cooperation in the field of professional development and exchange of experience. It can also be noted that after each seminar, practical assistance and support in promoting the export of products is provided to representatives of companies, consulting work is carried out on German and EU requirements, on customs declarations, certifications, international system codes, nuances in export contracts, their document flow and other issues.
On December 11 and 13 of this year, seminars were held in the cities of Nukus and Urgench for representatives of textile enterprises under the TOT program, as well as in order to expand the export opportunities of the textile industry of Uzbekistan and increase competitiveness in the international market in these cities.