Uzbekistan cancels requirement for pre-shipment inspection of imported goods

On 24 March, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed a resolution “On measures to further liberalize foreign trade and improve the efficiency of trade operations”.

The document was adopted in order to further liberalize foreign trade, create equal and favorable conditions for broad participation of business entities in foreign economic activity, as well as eliminate unnecessary barriers in conducting trade operations.

The resolution said that the pre-shipment inspection of goods, imported into the Republic of Uzbekistan, is carried out on a voluntary basis.

According to the document, inspection bodies, accredited in line with international standards, have right to provide inspection services.

Payment for the services of inspection bodies, including for conduct of a pre-shipment inspection, is carried out on their accounts, opened with commercial banks in the territory of Uzbekistan.

Responsibility for taking the necessary measures to ensure the conformity of quality, quantity and price of goods imported to Uzbekistan with the terms of import contracts registered with Center for Complex Examination of Projects and Import Contracts under the National Project Management Agency under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan bear the officials of the importer.

Uzbek leader banned the state bodies and organizations, as well as commercial banks, to give importers recommendations on the choice of the inspection body conducting pre-shipment inspection.

The President instructed in two months to prepare proposals for strengthening the responsibility of officials of importers and authorized state bodies, with the introduction of mechanisms for guaranteed compensation for damage to public interests.