Why is this important
The reform of customs administration directly affects the conditions for conducting foreign economic activity and business expenses. Simplifying procedures, expanding automation, and transitioning to risk-based control can shorten processing time and reduce administrative burden on companies. At the same time, changing approaches to accountability and control creates a more predictable regulatory environment.
What happened
- The President of Uzbekistan issued a decree on simplifying customs administration, which provides for the redistribution of control functions, expanding customs audits, and changing the procedure for processing permits.
- The task was set to ensure the differentiation of responsibility for violations of customs legislation depending on the nature and significance of the violations.
- The mandatory verification of documents by the Inspection for Control in the Sphere of Technical Regulation when issuing a certificate of conformity is canceled.
- Uzstandard will not be able to disconnect certification bodies from its system without periodic evaluation, nor will it be able to restrict certification without a decision to refuse to issue certificates.
Numbers and facts
- At individual customs posts, customs inspection will be carried out by border guards.
- Coverage of customs audits is expanding to 30%.
- From July 1, 2026, the “consultant-auditor” principle will be introduced, according to which companies will be able to independently eliminate identified shortcomings with prior notification.
- The results of customs control of companies’ activities will be taken into account in the business sustainability rating.
- From June 1, 2026, the mandatory requirement to obtain a quarantine permit when placing goods under the customs regime of release for free circulation (import) is canceled.
- The requirement for a sanitary-epidemiological permit when importing food products, if the manufacturer has FSSC 2000, IFS Food, BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety, or SQF Food Safety Code certificates, is being abolished.
- Responsibility for compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards during transportation and storage rests with the importer.
- Поставлена задача обеспечить дифференциацию ответственности за нарушения таможенного законодательства в зависимости от характера и значимости правонарушений.
- Financial fines will be applied only to individual entrepreneurs and legal entities without bringing them to administrative responsibility.
Additionally
It was instructed to launch risk analysis systems for issuing permits and certificates in foreign trade activities:
- low-risk goods — automatic document processing;
- goods with an average level of risk — documentary control;
- high-risk goods — registration after verification of samples or laboratory tests.
From January 1, 2028, financial fines will be introduced for four types of violations in the customs sphere:
- understatement of the customs value of goods;
- illegal disposal, loss, or destruction of goods under customs control;
- misuse of goods and transport released with customs benefits;
- violation of the procedure for preliminary notification or failure to provide mandatory information.
Context
- The customs system is transitioning to a more risk-oriented and automated control model.
- For businesses, this means expanding self-control and reducing the number of mandatory procedures with a low level of risk. At the same time, a more formalized and financially oriented mechanism for liability for violations is being introduced.
- Authorities are gradually replacing comprehensive control with selective inspections, digital tools, and post-audit, while maintaining enhanced supervision over high-risk operations.
