Uzbekistan hosts textile fair

by YarnsandFibers

The First International Uzbek Textile Fair was held on 5-6 December in Tashkent. More than 200 representatives of textile companies and firms from 33 countries in the world participated in the event.

The aim of this large-scale forum is diversification of national textile production, expansion of the geographical coverage of Uzbek textile exports, the development of long-term partnership relations with the world's leading producers and trade companies, and the introduction of the latest achievements of the textile industry of Uzbekistan to the participants of the fair.

With a stable, solid resource base, law energy costs and highly qualified labour resources in hands, with the assistance of foreign partners Uzbekistan is launching new modern textile production enterprises.

Today, textile producers have the capacity to process some 320,000 tonnes of cotton fibre, 300,000 tonnes of cotton yarn, 195 million running meters of cotton fabric, 160 million ready-made garments and 11 million pairs of hosiery.

There has been a substantial increase in exports of products by enterprises in the textile sector.

To compare, in 1995, Uzbekistan exported goods for some US$31.9 million, whereas in 2007 the indicator is forecast to reach US$441 million.

On 6 December, the second day of the event, a contract signing ceremony was held and the results of the fair were summed up.

The Minister of Foreign Economic Relations Investments and Trade of Uzbekistan Elyor Ganiev said 190 export contracts for US$405 million were signed during the first international textile fair.

Of these, contracts for US$70 million were signed for the delivery of half-finished textile goods (yarn, fabric), contracts for US$15 million for the delivery of silk products, and contracts for some US$320 million were signed for the delivery of ready-made cotton garments.

Most of the contracts were signed with the importers in the countries of Russia, Turkey, Korea, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Portugal, United Arab Emirates, and others.

A member of the Board of Directors the International Textile Manufacturers' Federation Herwig Strolz, the Chairman of the Board of UzbekYengilSanoat (Uzbek Light Industry) State Corporation Rahmatilla Ruzikulov and other high-ranked officials spoke at the closing ceremony.

They all pointed out that the two days of the fair were very productive, and that participants discussed current conditions and trends in the world market for textiles, as well as issues concerning the access and expansion of supplies of Uzbek textiles to the potential consumer markets.