Uzbekistan’s textile industry is still young and largely focused on cotton farming and spinning.But developing the entire textile value chain will not happen overnight.

While the Belt and Road Initiative will open up opportunities for Uzbek textile entrepreneurs, it could also bring in a deluge of textile and apparel products into the country, which could well thwart the growth of its fledgling industry.

For its textile and apparel industry, its best bet is to identify and produce high value added, sustainable, functional textiles, rather than conventional textiles which are already being manufactured successfully and competitively by Turkey, China, Bangladesh and Vietnam. It is these high value added textiles that will find a niche market in Europe.

The country's GDP should grow by six per cent this year. Textile has been identified as a priority sector. The country has a number of cotton spinning mills, many of which have been set up with foreign investments, especially from China.

The plan is to reduce the export of raw cotton and increase processing in the domestic market.

Uzbekistan is the sixth largest cotton producer in the world. Its raw cotton exports account for 28 per cent of the country's total textile exports. Cotton yarn exports account for 44 per cent of total textile exports.