TASHKENT (TCA) — In 2018, Uzbekistan’s exports amounted to US $14.258 billion and increased by 13.6 percent. This was said at a government meeting on February 6 chaired by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the Jahon information agency reported.
Over the past two years, Uzbekistan’s export geography has expanded by 50 countries and has covered 140 countries. 120 new types of product have been exported. The share of finished products in the export structure amounted to 56 percent.
However, the country’s export potential is still not fully used.
At the meeting, the President spoke about the need of diversifying the structure of exports, bringing the share of non-primary products to at least 60 percent. To this end, instructions were given on development of the national export strategy of Uzbekistan for 2019-2025.
This strategy will have to cover issues of transferring public services to exporters completely in electronic form, their financial support, and joining the top 50 countries with the highest rates of foreign trade in the Doing Business rating. Based on foreign experience, Uzbekistan Exporters Assembly will be organized to coordinate activities of exporters and provide them with comprehensive assistance.
At the meeting, it was said that permanent export headquarters will be organized in each region, district and city of Uzbekistan. A system covering the process of optimal placement of export-oriented crops, providing farms with quality seeds and seedlings, harvesting without loss, sorting, packaging, storage and processing, the delivery of products to foreign market will be formed under their leadership. At the same time, these headquarters will help resolve issues of internal and external logistics, certification, to increase the export of small businesses and, if necessary, provide loans for replenishing their working capital.
All Uzbek ministries and government agencies will be directly involved in ensuring exports.
In particular, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Investments and Foreign Trade, together with ambassadors, will identify demand and customers in foreign countries and report regularly to export headquarters.
The Uzbek ambassadors abroad will assist administrations of Uzbekistan’s regions in finding buyers on foreign markets and participation of domestic enterprises in foreign exhibitions.
