Cotton exporter Uzbekistan reported that it exported US $ 1 billion worth of textile products this year, adding that international sales are further expected to grow. At the annual cotton fair in Tashkent, Uzbek Prime Minister Shavkat Mirziyoyev said, “This year the total value of exports of cotton textile products has reached US $ 1 billion.” World’s fifth largest cotton exporter, Uzbekistan produced 3.3 million tonnes of cotton in 2013 and plans to exceed the tonnage before the end of 2014. The announcement by the PM was made soon after the United States and other countries criticized Uzbekistan for using forced labour to harvest cotton.
