Uzbekistan’s combined textile and clothing production climbed to around US $6.1 billion during the first half of 2026, marking a 7.4% year-on-year rise.
This was according to fresh analysis from the Center for Economic Research and Reforms (CERR) and reported by Review.Uz.
When breaking the figures, textile manufacturing proved the stronger performer, expanding 10.1% from a year ago to reach around $4.5 billion in the January to June 2026 months.
Garment production, by contrast, told a more subdued story, generating $1.6 billion in output, growing by just 0.4% over the same months of previous year as against a 15% expansion reported in the first quarter.
In effect, clothing manufacturers held broadly steady rather than advancing, leaving the segment trailing well behind its textile counterpart.
The imbalance is reshaping the industry’s internal composition. Apparel’s contribution to total sector output fell from 30% in 2025 to 26% in the first half of this year.
Meanwhile, the wider industry’s weight within Uzbekistan’s overall industrial production also softened, slipping from 13.7% in H1 2025 to 11.5% in the same period this year.
Trade performance, however, offered a considerably brighter picture. Combined exports of textiles and garments surged 25% year on year in the first half of 2026 to reach $1.6 billion.
On the import side, textile and apparel purchases rose 11.2% to $394 million in the first six months of current year.
The sector’s trade balance reached $1.2 billion, up nearly 30% from $959 million recorded a year earlier. Exports now outstrip imports by a factor of 4.15, up from 3.71 times in the equivalent period of 2025.
