Uzbekistan enacts New Uzbekistan Customs 2030 strategy
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed Decree UP-174 on 27 August 2026, approving the "Customs of New Uzbekistan – 2030" strategy aimed at business facilitation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence integration, and infrastructure modernization.
The decree introduces major trade simplifications. Starting 1 September 2026, the government will abolish prepayment requirements for non-contract imports, the 50 percent revenue guarantee for non-contract exports, and mandatory payment guarantees for national currency exports. Effective 1 October 2026, low-risk foreign trade participants with active VAT certificates can offset import VAT, while fees for customs clearance, phytosanitary certificates, fumigation, and certificates of origin for exports will drop by 30 percent.
From 1 January 2027, a unified customs duty rate will be set at 20 percent of customs value, with a floor of US$2 per kilogram. Participants in the national enterprise qualification program will receive up to 120-day deferrals on customs payments.
By December 2027, the undeclared foreign cash export limit for individuals will rise to an equivalent of US$10,000. Uzbekistan will also permit citizens working abroad, including in Kazakhstan and Russia, to temporarily import foreign-registered personal vehicles for non-commercial use upon payment guarantees.
To automate administration, the State Customs Committee will establish a Digital Technology Center. AI technologies will be deployed to determine commodity codes, analyze X-ray scans and documentation, power voice assistants, and monitor customs valuations. The strategy targets shortening average import clearance times to two hours and export clearance times to 30 minutes, while increasing human-free automated clearance to 60 percent by 2030. Customs revenues are projected to reach at least 4.4 percent of GDP.
By January 2028, a unified mobile application integrating customs services with the Single Interactive State Services Portal will go live, along with a "Customs fine" application for penalty processing. Electronic services available through the Single Window system will increase from 41 to 49 by 2030. Additionally, the state enterprise "Bojxona-servis" will be converted into a limited liability company to attract foreign investment and manage the "Safe Customs" digital ecosystem.
International initiatives include negotiating "one-stop border post" arrangements with Kyrgyzstan at the Rishthan, Vodil, Okkiya, and Chashma checkpoints, advancing customs agreements with Armenia, Thailand, and Türkiye, and establishing technical data exchanges on rail freight with Belarus, Russia, and Tajikistan. The strategy also outlines participation in the Asian Development Bank's Digital Customs and Logistics Alliance under the CAREC program.
Infrastructure funding for 2026–2030 is estimated at 1.7 trillion soums, predominantly financed via non-budgetary funds of the State Customs Committee. Major capital projects include the US$220 million construction of the Khalkobod-Karabay Konisbayev border crossing on the Kazakh border in the Yangiyul district, scheduled for 2027, alongside land allocation for terminals near key border posts in the Andijan, Surkhandarya, and Tashkent regions.
