Strategic Development of Export Potential for Cotton-Textile Clusters through Green Technologies and Sustainable Practices

Eco-innovations and regulatory compliance represent a fundamental resource in sustainable trade development and export diversification. This work applies a multi-method assessment of green investments, eco-certifications, and circular economy adoption in Uzbekistan’s cotton-textile sector in order to explore strategic export enhancement pathways and analyze the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and international trade potential. By integrating the AHP-based sustainability indicators characterizing firm-level performance for export potential, we offer a comprehensive framework of sustainable transformation practices. The selected sustainability variables are compared with export performance metrics as a benchmark, extracted from the State Committee on Statistics, and modeled at regional and firm size levels, through both a regression-based estimation and a multi-criteria decision analysis approach. In order to achieve green-oriented export development, this article constructs an analytical framework based on the theory of sustainable trade transition, collects data by means of policy analysis and industry feedback, and uses the method of comparative evaluation to verify the proposed model. Meanwhile, the stakeholder engagement and certification mechanisms have a moderating effect on the relationship between eco-innovation practices and the textile sector’s export performance, but strengthen the positive correlation between environmental audits and the industry’s trade resilience. Findings about the efficiency of circular economy integration are statistically significant and context- specific. By applying a proposed sustainability-oriented trade framework to the Uzbekistan cotton-textile system, a capacity-building model applicable to emerging economies is implemented. This model may help to reduce the frequency of export disruptions and enable structured support for managing trade resilience.