Uzbekistan Agrees to Zero Import Duty on Mobile Phones
Uzbekistan has agreed to reduce the import duty on mobile phones from 5% to zero as part of negotiations for accession to the WTO. The date for introducing the new rate has not yet been announced.
The agreement was announced on 11 November by Farhod Olimjonov, Head of the Customs Committee Directorate. According to him, the duty is planned to be eliminated before the country's accession to the World Trade Organization. VAT on imports will continue to be levied.
Olimjonov estimated a potential reduction in budget revenues of 300–400 billion Uzbek sums. In his assessment, phones for consumers could become nearly 5% cheaper. From January to October 2026, according to Customs Committee data, Uzbekistan officially imported 4.1 million mobile devices, one million more than in the same period last year. Revenue from customs payments for the import of devices reached 2 trillion sums.
Currently, passengers bringing phones from abroad declare the devices in their customs declaration for subsequent IMEI registration. At Tashkent Airport, processing resumed on 11 November after a pause related to the verification of device identifiers.
In early November, the WTO reported that negotiations on Uzbekistan's accession had reached a key stage. The parties still need to agree on remaining obligations and prepare the final package of documents.
