Government seeks to tighten rules on vehicle transfers in customs warehouses

The Prime Minister is expected to receive new powers. Under a draft law currently under discussion, the Cabinet of Ministers would be granted the authority to determine goods placed under the customs warehouse regime that cannot be transferred to another person. The government plans to apply this new power to automobiles first.

According to the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which published the draft law for public consultation, the Cabinet of Ministers may be empowered to prohibit the transfer of certain goods under the customs warehouse regime to other individuals – with automobiles being the initial focus.

The draft law proposes adding the following clause to the Customs Code:

“The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan may define certain goods and circumstances in which goods placed under the customs warehouse regime may not be transferred to another person.”

The official explanation states that the draft law was developed based on Prime Minister’s Order No. 1725 of 6 May 2025.

This order instructed the drafting of a law to restrict procedures that allow goods placed under the customs warehouse regime – specifically passenger vehicles – to be transferred to another person.

“The purpose of this law is to prevent cases in which goods under customs control are cleared through customs without meeting the requirements of tax legislation,” the preamble of the draft law states.

However, the explanatory note attached to the draft does not provide specific examples of such cases.