Customs Duty Exemption for Imported Laboratory Equipment in Uzbekistan Extended until 2028
A new presidential decree has been issued in Uzbekistan, titled “Additional Measures for the Development of the Electrical Engineering Industry.” This decree outlines key directions for advancing the country’s electrical engineering industry from 2025 to 2027, with the goal of taking the sector to a new stage of development.
Starting from February 1, 2025, several support measures will be implemented. These include allowing products processed under the customs processing regime to undergo further reprocessing by subsequent manufacturers under an industrial cooperation framework. Additionally, laboratory equipment and instruments imported for use by research and development centers will be exempt from customs duties until February 1, 2028.
New requirements will also be introduced for purchase documentation related to the construction of administrative buildings, social infrastructure projects, and legal entities where the state holds a majority stake. Contractors will need to source necessary goods from local manufacturers via electronic portals. If goods are unavailable on these portals, they may be purchased from other electronic platforms with confirming documentation.
Transactions within the producers’ ecosystem will take place between government customers and manufacturers through an electronic store procedure, without restrictions related to contract values. Offers will be formed using certification data for locally produced goods.
The electrical engineering sector in Uzbekistan currently accounts for 3.5% of the country’s industrial output and 10% of its exports. Last year, the sector produced 31 trillion UZS worth of products, with exports reaching $1.3 billion. Investments of $516 million were made, and 85 new enterprises were launched, employing over 27,000 people.
Recent meetings have highlighted the importance of improving the sector’s performance. The president noted that electrical engineering exports reached $1 billion, making it the second-largest industry in Uzbekistan after textiles. Plans are underway to allow entrepreneurs to build ready-made buildings in technopark zones and sell them to electrical engineering and related sector companies. Entrepreneurs establishing high-tech production facilities will be exempt from profit and property taxes for three years.
