Turkey to Step up Investment in Uzbekistan’s Production of Footwear
Turkish footwear manufacturers are ready to invest $1 million in the manufacture of leather, footwear and fur goods in Tashkent's Ahangaran district. Discussions between the head of Layki, a leader in the Turkish footwear and textile market, and Fakhriddin Boboevoy, chairman of the Uzcharmsanoat Association, focused on the company's bid for land, the schedule and format of subsequent conferences, technological issues and the exchange of best practices. Previous plans announced by the Uzcharmsanoat Association included the establishment of a leather and footwear production complex in the small industrial zone of Ahangaran comprising 26 projects with a total value of $30 million. The Turkish company Warboots, which has already committed $50 million to an enterprise to produce military footwear, has declared an interest in production at Ahangaran. Through an initial investment of $15 million, the enterprise will create 4,000 jobs for local residents. Other Turkish companies are likewise, keen to set up operations in the Ahangaran zone. The Gratto brand is conducting a feasibilty study for a tannery which will export products to Italy and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries, and the Uzbek company Magna Sport is in talks with Turkey's Bursa Eldiven Sanayi to produce industrial gloves. The Turkish brand Myfit is liaising with Uzbek enterprises for the production of its licensed goods under an outsourcing system and preliminary agreements have been reached on the creation of product samples and the supply of raw materials. Uzbek industrialists, together with the Turkish company El Taban are due to begin production of next-generation shoe soles, with the initial cost of the project set at $2.1 million. Given the country's wide availability of raw materials, inexpensive labour and easy access to global markets, players in South Korea, Italy, Russia, China and Germany are also actively interested in embarking on joint projects with Uzbekistan's leather industry.
