Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a resolution introducing new measures to support the country’s leather and footwear industry, increase finished goods manufacturing and strengthen the country’s export potential. The resolution was signed on 1 July 2026 in Uzbekistan according to multiple local media reports.
The resolution sets new production and export targets for Uzbekistan’s leather, footwear and leather goods industry by 2027.
Leather production is targeted to increase from 690 million square decimeters in 2026 to 800 million square decimeters in 2027.
Footwear production is expected to grow from 100 million pairs to 115 million pairs during the same period.
The country’s leather and footwear exports are projected to rise from $110 million to $150 million.
The resolution introduces a financial support package for manufacturers from 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2028 through the Light Industry Support Fund.
Companies producing finished leather will receive a subsidy of 350 Uzbek soums (~$0.029) for every square decimeter of products sold.
Footwear manufacturers will receive 1 million soums (~$83.5) for every newly developed product model, with support capped at 50 million soums (~$4,176.6) per enterprise each year.
The government will also reimburse 50% of the cost of imported shoe lasts and moulds.
The reimbursement is limited to $10,000 per year for imports from European Union countries and $5,000 per year for imports from other countries.
Companies opening brand stores and trading houses in administrative centres, Tashkent and cities with more than 100,000 people will receive a 50% reimbursement on rental costs during the first year.
The rental support is capped at 100 million soums (~$8,353.3)
Entrepreneurs involved in collecting leather and wool raw materials will be exempt from corporate income tax, property tax, land tax and VAT from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2029.
The resolution also establishes the Directorate for the Management of Leather and Footwear Industrial Zones as a limited liability company with a charter capital of $23 million.
Existing industrial zones covering 43.5 hectares in the Akhangaran district of the Tashkent region and the Shahrihan district of the Andijan region will be transferred to the new directorate.
The government will allocate 360 billion soums (~$30 million) from the state budget during 2026 and 2027 to build modern wastewater treatment facilities for leather and wool enterprises in the Tashkent and Syrdarya regions.
Another 80 billion (~$6.68 million) soums will be allocated to develop external engineering and communication infrastructure for the industrial zones.
Out of the $33 million allocated for leather and footwear sector development under a 2024 resolution, $10 million will be channelled through commercial banks to finance investment projects.
The funding will be available for up to 10 years at an annual interest rate of 5% with a 3 year grace period.
The remaining $23 million will be contributed to the charter capital of the newly established directorate.
From 1 October 2026, the Light Industry Agency and the Uzbek-Korean Training and Practical Technopark will start continuous professional development programmes for industry specialists, masters and artisans.
The training will cover fashion designers, marketers and technologists with support from foreign instructors and experts.
