BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 21. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has ordered the creation of rapid-response teams to help more than 200 export-oriented enterprises enter foreign markets, after officials revealed that hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of production capacity remains underutilized.
This was reflected in the statement published by the official channel of the Press Secretary to the President of Uzbekistan.
The directives were issued during a government meeting reviewing Uzbekistan's economic performance in the first half of 2026 and identifying measures to boost exports.
According to the statement, 509 new export-oriented production facilities worth a combined $11 billion have been launched over the past three years as part of the country's industrial development program.
However, Mirziyoyev said 208 of those enterprises have yet to begin exporting, despite being established to serve international markets.
"If these enterprises exported just 30-40% of their output, the country could receive an additional $1.5 billion to $2 billion in foreign currency earnings," the president said.
The meeting also highlighted weak export performance in Uzbekistan's special economic zones (SEZs). Of the country's 47 SEZs, 29 recorded no exports at all since the beginning of the year, while the combined exports of the remaining 18 zones totaled less than $500 million.
Calling the situation unacceptable, Mirziyoyev instructed officials to establish rapid-response teams that will be deployed to the 208 enterprises and 29 underperforming special economic zones.
The teams will work directly with businesses to quickly resolve obstacles related to product certification, working capital, market access and logistics, enabling manufacturers to begin exporting more rapidly.
The president also expressed concern over delays in bringing industrial equipment into operation. Officials reported that 219 pieces of equipment worth $300 million have remained unused for the past two years, while construction and installation work has yet to be completed for another 154 units of equipment valued at $619 million.
Mirziyoyev ordered responsible agencies to conduct on-site inspections within one month, identify the causes of the delays and eliminate administrative and technical barriers preventing the projects from becoming operational.
The measures form part of Uzbekistan's broader strategy to accelerate export growth, improve the effectiveness of industrial investment and increase foreign currency earnings. By helping newly established manufacturers overcome operational bottlenecks and fully utilize existing production capacity, the government aims to maximize returns on recent industrial investments and strengthen the country's export-driven economic growth.
