A European Union (EU) Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) monitoring mission has arrived in Uzbekistan to assess the country’s compliance with trade-related commitments. The delegation will hold discussions in Tashkent and Bukhara with the Uzbek government, social partners, civil society, and UN representatives on key issues such as human rights, labor rights, environmental protection, climate change, and good governance, the EU Delegation to Uzbekistan announced.
Uzbekistan’s GSP+ Status and Trade Relations with the EU
The GSP+ is a special EU trade incentive program that supports countries with vulnerable economies due to limited export diversification and insufficient integration into the global trading system. To qualify, countries must ratify and effectively implement 27 international conventions covering areas such as human rights, labor rights, environmental protection, climate change, anti-corruption, and drug control.
Uzbekistan has been a GSP+ beneficiary since April 2021, joining a select group of just eight countries worldwide. As part of the program, the EU conducts regular dialogues and monitoring missions to ensure compliance with the required international UN and International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. The current monitoring mission will remain in the country until March 20.
Progress and Key Trade Figures
Since the last monitoring mission in 2022, Uzbekistan has made notable progress in its trade relations with the EU. Currently, approximately 60% of EU imports from Uzbekistan benefit from GSP+ preferential market access, with chemical products, fertilizers, cotton, and plastics being the main export beneficiaries.
Uzbekistan also ranks among the top GSP+ countries in terms of preference utilization, having used nearly 84% of all available trade preferences in 2023. For the 2024-2025 reporting period, the EU has identified nine priority areas for monitoring to ensure Uzbekistan continues to comply with GSP+ requirements.
