Uzbekistan to reduce import duties on goods from non-MFN countries

According to the Ministry of Justice, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a law on 27 November reducing customs tariffs on imports from a number of countries.

The amendments concern Article 300 of the Customs Code, which currently requires goods imported from states that do not have MFN status with Uzbekistan, or goods with an unverified country of origin, to be subject to double tariff rates.

Once the law enters into force, the additional duty will depend on the standard tariff applied to each product category. For goods with an ad valorem rate of up to 10%, the additional duty will be 5%.

Higher tariff brackets will carry the following additional rates:

• for an ad valorem rate of 10–20% – 10%;
• for a rate of 20–30% – 15%;
• for a rate of 30% or above – 20%.

The Senate approved the law in June, noting that its purpose is to align Uzbekistan’s legislation with World Trade Organization norms. The document will take effect three months after its official publication.