Uzbekistan plans to raise textile production by 10 per cent year on year (YoY) in monetary terms and their exports by 32 per cent YoY in 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was recently informed at a meeting.

Production in this industry amounted to 134 trillion soums (~$11.2 billion), the amount of foreign investment utilised reached $2.1 billion and exports amounted to $2.5 billion in 2025, he was told.

Uzbekistan plans to raise textile production by 10 per cent YoY in monetary terms and their exports by 32 per cent YoY in 2026, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was informed.
The target is to raise production to $12.2 billion and exports to $3.3 billion.
The plan is to attract $2.2 billion in foreign investment into the sector next year.
Jobs in the sector are planned to be raised to 650,000 next year.

Employment in the sector increased to 623,000 this year, with the potential to rise to 650,000 next year.

The processing of cotton fibre will be further deepened and the capacity utilisation rate for the production of fabrics, knitwear and finished products will be increased in 2026, a release from the President’s office said.

The target is to raise production to 147 trillion soums (~$12.2 billion) and exports to $3.3 billion. The government plans to attract $2.2 billion in foreign investment into the sector next year.

This will create additional capacity for the production of 207,000 tonnes of synthetic and blended yarn, 397 million square metres of fabrics and 224 million units of apparel and knitwear.

The meeting discussed dependence on imports to meet part of the demand for cotton fibre, the high cost of financial resources, growing logistics costs in external markets and a shortage of qualified specialists in several areas.

To address these problems, the government has planned a gamut of measures for next year. Enterprises will be provided with preferential loans worth $200 million to replenish working capital, financial recovery will be undertaken for 138 enterprises and another 100 companies will be involved in export activities.

Special attention will be paid to introducing international standards and certification. The creation of a modern textile laboratory capable of analysing the quality of finished products across 24 areas is planned.

ERP systems and artificial intelligence technologies will be implemented at 40 textile enterprises.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)

ASEAN’s economic growth projection for 2025 has been revised downwards to 4.5 per cent from the earlier estimate of 4.7 per cent, while inflation is expected to moderate from 3 per cent to 2.4 per cent in 2025 before edging up to 2.8 per cent in 2026, according to the ASEAN Economic Integration Brief.

Vietnam remains the fastest-growing major economy, with growth forecast at 7.4 per cent in 2025, while Indonesia is expected to maintain steady growth around 5-5.1 per cent. Cambodia and the Philippines are expected to post resilient growth near 5 per cent, while Thailand and Singapore face slower momentum.

For 2026, ASEAN’s GDP growth is projected at 4.4 per cent. Vietnam is forecast to grow at a solid 6.4 per cent, while Indonesia is expected to maintain stable growth at 5.1 per cent. The Philippines is projected to expand by 5.3 per cent, Cambodia by 5 per cent, and Malaysia by 4.3 per cent. Thailand and Singapore are expected to see slower growth of 1.6 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively. Inflation pressures are projected to remain elevated in Laos and Myanmar, though easing compared with 2025.

ASEAN’s 2025 growth forecast has been lowered to 4.5 per cent as global uncertainty persists, with inflation easing before rising slightly in 2026.
Vietnam leads regional growth.
Trade momentum is slowing after front-loading effects fade, but strong FDI inflows and deeper regional integration continue to support ASEAN’s medium-term economic outlook.

ASEAN’s merchandise trade showed strong momentum in 2024, expanding 8.8 per cent to reach $3.8 trillion, driven by sustained demand from major trading partners, particularly China and the United States. In the first half of 2025, merchandise trade surged 17.4 per cent due to export front-loading ahead of tariff hikes. However, trade prospects for the second half of 2025 and early 2026 are expected to weaken as these one-off effects taper off and external vulnerabilities intensify, as per the brief.

Foreign direct investment trends remain a bright spot for the region. While global FDI rose modestly by 3.7 per cent in 2024—largely influenced by volatile financial conduit flows—ASEAN recorded a stronger 8.7 per cent increase in inflows to $230.8 billion. Key recipients included Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. In the first half of 2025, ASEAN’s FDI inflows rose a further 12.7 per cent, contrasting with a 3 per cent decline in global FDI, signalling sustained investor confidence in the region.

Looking ahead, ASEAN continues to be viewed as an attractive investment destination, with 60 per cent of firms surveyed by Boston Consulting Group indicating plans to invest in the region within the next 12 months. To sustain this momentum, ASEAN is strengthening credibility, capability, and compliance through deeper regional integration.

The ongoing implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement, the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement, and the upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement is expected to enhance transparency, resilience, and competitiveness, reinforcing ASEAN’s position as a single market and integrated production base, the brief added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SG)

The Swiss investor Arklyz has acquired the German shoe brand Gabor. The company, based in Stans on Lake Lucerne, did not disclose the purchase price. All regulatory approvals have been obtained, according to the press release.

Previously owned by the eponymous founding family and headquartered in Rosenheim, the shoemaker is best known for its women’s footwear. The company is now wholly owned by Arklyz. The Gabor brand will be retained, and the current management team will remain in place.

Arklyz is an investment holding company founded in 2018 that is primarily active in the sports, clothing, and footwear sectors. Arklyz also acquired a German shoe brand last year: Lloyd, based in Sulingen, Lower Saxony.

Headquarters in Bavaria, production abroad

The precursor to today’s Gabor Shoes was a shoe workshop founded in 1919 in what is now Polish Upper Silesia; the company has been based in Rosenheim since 1966. According to the company’s website, Gabor is one of Europe’s largest shoe manufacturers.

In 2023, the company employed just under 2,630 people. Of these, only 366 were based in Germany; the majority worked in two shoe factories in Slovakia and Portugal. According to the German company register, Gabor posted a net profit of 13.4 million euros in 2023, with revenue totalling 282 million euros.