Russia remains the primary consumer of Uzbek textile items, according to the Uzbek state statistics committee. During January-May 2019, more than 38 per cent of Uzbek textile exports worth $250.2 million were shipped there. Exports of Uzbek textiles to China more than doubled from $90.9 million in January-May 2017 to $190.3 million in that period this year.
Turkey is also one of the largest consumers of Uzbek textile products. IN the first five months of this year, textile products worth $63.6 million were shipped to Turkey. Then come Kyrgyzstan with $34.9 million, Iran with $19.7 million, Kazakhstan with $16.6 million and Poland with $10.7 million, according to Azeri news media reports.
In January-May 2019, total exports of textile products from Uzbekistan was worth $653.7 million, a rise of 21.9 per cent over the figures during the same period last year. The current figure is 10.2 per cent of total exports.
The main share is taken by cotton yarn (58.6 per cent) and finished knitwear and garments (22.4 per cent). Since the beginning of the year, more than 336 types of these goods have been exported to 50 countries.
Around 78 per cent of the harvested cotton fibre will be processed in the country, which is twice as much as in 2017.