Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan became a GSP+ beneficiary country on 10 April 2021, having successfully applied and met the conditions set out in the GSP regulation, such as ratifying all 27 core international conventions on human rights, labour standards, environmental protection, and good governance. Uzbekistan is a lower middle-income country with a per capita income of $3,162 in 2024. Total EU imports stood at €845 million in 2024, of which €448 million were GSP+ preferential imports.
- Compilation of latest news on EU-Uzbekistan issues
- 6 June 2026: EU statement at the 114th International Labour Conference on Equal Remuneration and Discrimination in Uzbekistan
- 24 October 2025: Signing of the EU-Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement
- 22 October 2025: 18th Cooperation Council (press release)
- 24 June 2025: 21st meeting of the Subcommittee on Justice, Home Affairs and Human Rights Related Issues (press release)
- 14-20 March 2025: EU monitoring mission (press release 1, press release 2)
- 15 November 2024: Meeting on anti-corruption measures (press release)
What is the GSP+?
The GSP+ is a special incentive arrangement for Sustainable Development and Good Governance that supports vulnerable developing countries. Next to fulfilling the eligibility requirements of the Standard GSP, GSP+ countries are required to ratify 27 international conventions on human rights, labour rights, environmental protection and climate change, and good governance. In order to ensure effective implementation of the conventions as well as compliance with reporting obligations, the EU engages in monitoring activities with the GSP+ countries. GSP+ beneficiaries can benefit from complete duty suspensions for products across approximately 66% of all EU tariff lines.
At a glance: EU preferential imports from GSP+ beneficiary countries (2024, € million)
36.4M (2024)
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
6.5% (2024)
GDP Growth
9.6% (2024)
Inflation
$ 115.0B (2024)
GDP
Facts about the Uzbek economy
Cotton Producer
With a production of 3 million bales (2024), Uzbekistan is among the world's 10 largest cotton producers.
Export Products
Uzbekistan's most important export products are gold and refined copper, as well as cotton and other apparel and clothing articles. The most important agricultural products for export, next to cotton, are dried beans and fresh and dried grapes, apricots, and peaches.
Joining the WTO
In June 2019, Uzbekistan expressed new interest and commitment to join WTO in the near future (this is currently planned for 2026). Uzbekistan's most important trading partners are China and Russia.
Economic Structure
Services account for 45% of Uzbekistan's GDP (2024), followed by industry with a share of 32%. Besides the production of cotton and the related textile industry, the food processing industry, metallurgy, machine building and mining are important industries in Uzbekistan. Remittances contribute 14% to GDP.
Preference Utilisation
63% of total EU imports from Uzbekistan made use of the GSP+ preferences in 2024. The preference utilisation rate, which measures the share of preference eligible imports that actually use the preferences, stood at 92%.
Trade with the EU
Total trade with the EU amounted to €5.3 billion in 2024 (10% of Uzbekistan's total trade), which makes the EU the third most important trading partner for Uzbekistan. The EU is relatively less important as an export market, with 7% being destined there.
Uzbekistan and the EU
Imports from Uzbekistan by product section (2024, € million)
Imports from Uzbekistan over time (€ million)
UZBEKISTAN AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
68%
Share of EU imports from Uzbekistan that was eligible for GSP+ preferences in 2024.
92%
Uzbekistan's preference utilisation rate in 2024.
92%
Share of zero-duty imports from Uzbekistan in 2024.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from Uzbekistan (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
About two thirds of the EU's total imports from Uzbekistan are eligible for GSP+ preferences. Eligible imports increased strongly since 2019 and before, from about €100 million to €486 million in 2024. Uzbekistan’s preference utilisation rate consistently was around 90% since 2016 (except for a slight drop in 2023).
The largest product sections under the GSP (€ million, 2024)
Since 2022 the largest product section under the GSP+ are chemical products. Base metals and textiles also represent large shares of preferential imports. Across product groups, recent trends are quite different: whereas imports of base metals and fruit and vegetables (among others) strongly increased from 2022 to 2024, those of chemicals, plastics and textiles decreased substantially. Preference utilisation was high among all major product groups in the period 2022 to 2024.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MONITORING PRIORITIES
Uzbekistan is the newest GSP+ beneficiary, as the country is benefitting from this arrangement since April 2021. The significant opening and reform efforts Uzbekistan has gone through since leadership change in 2016 have had overall a positive effect on compliance with international standards. The Uzbek authorities have positively engaged with GSP+ monitoring and the commitment to effectively implement the relevant international conventions.
Over the period 2023 to 2025, the following positive developments were noted:
- Human rights: Increased social protection and legislative and practical steps to protect women and children from domestic violence – including a 2024 Law on Violence against Children and its strategy.
- Labour rights: Re-established the Labour Inspectorate and maintained the eradication of systemic and systematic child and forced labour in cotton harvesting, while challenges remain in effective and unrestricted monitoring of labour rights. The 2025 Labour Code reform should provide for better alignment with international labour standards.
- Environment/Climate: Progressed environmental and climate commitments, including updated ambitious United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and biodiversity targets, and made advances in afforestation around the Aral Sea.
Remaining issues and priorities for future engagement are:
- Human rights: Continued and worsening limitations to media and civic space and restrictions on freedom of association, including through intimidation and prosecution of dissenting voices, with impact on independent oversight across human rights, labour rights, environment and climate, and anti-corruption. Concerns about the independence of the judiciary and access to fair trials also pose crosscutting challenges, including on freedom of expression, housing rights, torture, and anti-corruption.
- Cross-cutting and labour rights: A still weak Labour Inspection system and restrictions on its functioning undermine monitoring of labour rights. A lack of independent monitors and issues regarding farmers’ rights remain areas of concern.
- Governance: Need to strengthen anti-corruption bodies and their independence.
For more information about Uzbekistan’s compliance with the GSP conventions, see the convention compliance database. Also see the factsheet on Uzbekistan.
Monitoring priorities during the reporting period 2024-2025
Civil society space, freedom of expression and association
Eliminating torture and ill-treatment
Aligning criminal code to international norms
Non-discrimination
Addressing gaps in the Labour Code
Child and forced labour monitoring
Labour inspection
Environment and climate conventions
Combatting corruption
For the reporting period 2024-2025, the EU has focussed its monitoring activities on nine priority areas. Civil and political rights issues will have to be addressed to ensure Uzbekistan continues to comply with GSP+ requirements.