Uzbekistan introduces export duties on 86 goods, including key raw materials

On March 14, 2025, the President issued a decree titled "On Improving Export Procedures and Promoting the Production of Value-Added Finished Goods", as reported by the State Customs Committee.

The primary goal of the decree is to bring Uzbekistan’s export regulations in line with WTO standards.

As per the decree, export duties will apply to the following categories of goods starting from July 1, 2025:

• Raw hides and semi-finished leather products, raw silk, cotton yarn, and knitted fabric goods (previously, these items were subject to export fees set by industry associations, which have now been abolished).
• Meat products, wheat, grain, rice, mineral fertilizers, PET waste, non-ferrous scrap metal, and its byproducts (these products previously required special permission from the President or the government for export, but such restrictions have now been lifted).
• Strategic raw materials produced in Uzbekistan, such as natural gas, cotton fiber, cotton linter, mineral fertilizers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), PVC, and copper raw materials, to support local value-added production and the processing industry.

Authorities emphasize that this decree will enhance export procedures, encourage the production of value-added finished goods based on local raw materials, and boost the investment appeal of Uzbekistan's processing industry.

Earlier, reports surfaced about an attempt to smuggle a truck into Uzbekistan in parts to evade customs duties. The cargo, declared as 11 different vehicle spare parts, was actually components of a fully assembled dump truck. According to the Customs Committee, the truck owner attempted to evade 800 million UZS in customs duties. Economists attribute such incidents to high import duties introduced to protect domestic manufacturers.