President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on the ongoing work and future plans for the leather and footwear industry, reported UzDaily.uz .
In recent years, a number of measures have been implemented to support the sector, expand production volumes, and increase exports. In the first quarter of 2026, production volume in the leather industry reached 962 billion soums, with a growth rate exceeding 25 percent.
By 2030, it is planned to increase production volume in the sector to 12 trillion soums, boost export volume to 500 million dollars, and create 12,000 new jobs.
The presentation also noted untapped opportunities in the sector. Although a large volume of raw leather and wool is produced in the country, the level of deep processing remains low.
In particular, the processing rate for sheep and goat skin remains around 30 percent. Only 6,000 tons of the 40,000 tons of wool produced annually are being processed.
At the meeting, proposals were discussed regarding the efficient use of enterprise capacity, increasing the share of finished product manufacturing, and expanding export markets.
It is planned to establish new industrial zones specialized in the leather and footwear industry in the Ohangaron district of Tashkent region and the Shahrixon district of Andijan region.
Production buildings, engineering and communication networks, logistics centers, and design and training centers will be built in these areas. The activities of the zones will be managed by a special directorate.
It was stated that a modern industrial zone meeting environmental requirements for leather processing enterprises will be built in Ohangaron. A centralized water treatment plant will be constructed there, creating the capacity to reuse up to 8,000 cubic meters of water per day.
Additionally, proposals were made to import cattle hides from neighboring countries to expand the raw material base, provide services to entrepreneurs on a “single window” basis, and cover transport costs.
Measures to establish collection and primary processing points for leather in the Navoiy, Qashqadaryo, Surxondaryo, and Tashkent regions were also reviewed.
A new complex specialized in wool processing is planned to be established in the Sirdaryo region. Its capacity will allow for the processing of 30,000 tons of wool per year.
If the project is implemented, a finished product manufacturing chain will be formed, and it is expected that value-added, export volume, and new jobs will increase significantly.
The presentation also paid special attention to the issue of expanding artificial leather production. Currently, 7 promising projects are planned to be implemented in this direction in the country.
It was noted that within their framework, a production capacity of 50 million linear meters of artificial leather products will be created, partially covering domestic market demand and increasing export volume.
The President emphasized that the incentives provided in the sector will only be effective with precise calculations and practical actions. Officials were given instructions on the financial recovery of enterprises, full utilization of capacities, and the production of competitive products.
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