A delegation from the European Union's Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) has arrived in Uzbekistan for a monitoring mission, set to continue until March 20, 2025. The mission includes experts from various EU directorates general based in Brussels and aims to assess Uzbekistan's compliance with GSP+ requirements.
During their visit, the delegation will engage with Uzbek government officials, social partners, civil society representatives, and UN agencies in Tashkent and Bukhara. Key areas of focus include human rights, labour rights, environmental protection, climate change policies, and good governance.
Since the last monitoring mission in 2022, Uzbekistan has strengthened its trade ties with the EU. Currently, approximately 60% of EU imports from Uzbekistan benefit from preferential market access under the GSP+ scheme, with chemical products, fertilizers, cotton, and plastics among the top beneficiaries. Uzbekistan has one of the highest preference utilization rates among GSP+ countries, with 84% of eligible exports benefiting from tariff exemptions in 2023.
For the 2024-2025 reporting period, the EU has outlined nine priority areas for monitoring, ensuring continued compliance with GSP+ obligations.
Uzbekistan became a GSP+ beneficiary on April 10, 2021, joining a group of eight other participating countries. The scheme is designed to support developing economies that have limited export diversification and need assistance in integrating into the global trading system.
To qualify, countries must ratify and implement 27 international conventions covering human rights, labour standards, environmental protection, and governance, including anti-corruption and drug control measures. The EU regularly conducts dialogues and monitoring missions to evaluate progress in implementing these commitments.
Uzbekistan, classified as a lower middle-income country, had a per capita income of $2,850 in 2023. Total EU imports from Uzbekistan reached €780mn, with €330mn falling under GSP+ preferential trade. GSP+ beneficiaries benefit from complete duty suspensions on around 66% of all EU tariff lines, facilitating economic growth and trade expansion.
In 2024, Europe was Uzbekistan's largest trading partner, accounting for 42.3% of total foreign trade turnover (FTT). Uzbekistan’s exports to Europe reached $14.1bn, while imports from the region totaled $13.8bn.
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