Uzbekistan to Introduce Rice Export Quotas Without Duties

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan’s Cabinet of Ministers is developing a mechanism to allow domestic producers to export rice without paying customs duties, subject to established quotas.

Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev announced the initiative on March 6 during an open dialogue of the government commission with the business community of Bukhara region.

The matter was raised by Botir Usmonov, representing the Yakkatut agrocluster specializing in cotton, grain, rice, and seeds, who highlighted the high debt burden faced by local producers. His company alone holds 91 billion soums in loans and cited the current 100% rice export duty as a significant barrier to business development.

Usmonov noted that since 2021, the enterprise has been implementing a project to cultivate 10,000 hectares of unused land under presidential guidance, with approximately 2,500 hectares already brought into agricultural circulation.

Responding to these concerns, Khodjaev explained that the strict export tariffs were initially introduced due to the high water consumption of rice, comparing rice exports to sending water abroad. He referenced the experience of neighboring countries, particularly Russia, where the raw rice export ban from 2026 was replaced with a quota system.

Khodjaev emphasized that the government is drafting a temporary regulation under which a quota will be established and duties waived for a certain volume of rice exports, rather than for the entire export.

High customs barriers in Uzbekistan have been in place since July 1, 2025, when export duties were imposed on 86 product categories, including food, fertilizers, and scrap metal, replacing sectoral fees and special export permits.