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.