The Republic of Uzbekistan is located in Central Asia and is one of the two dual landlocked countries in the world. It is the 6th largest cotton producer and 2nd largest cotton exporter in the world, the 7th largest gold producer in the world, and also an important producer of natural gas, coal, copper, oil, silver, and uranium in the region. We mainly export gold, cotton textiles, non-ferrous metals, fruits and vegetables, grains, natural gas, etc., and import mechanical and electrical products, pig iron and steel, pharmaceuticals, plastics, hardware products, grains and their products, sugar, etc.
1. Document requirements
The main customs clearance documents include: invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, quality inspection certificate, and bill of lading.
2. Certification requirements
1) The most common certification for exporting to Uzbekistan is GOST-UZB. Many products exported to the country need to complete GOST-UZB certification before customs clearance. To apply for GOST-UZB certification, it is necessary to find a testing agency and submit relevant documents for review. During the validity period of the certificate, the products can be exported at any time.
2) Another certification method is PSI, which is commonly known as pre shipment inspection of goods. Currently, some products in the mechanical, electrical, and food industries require PSI inspection before customs clearance. It should be noted that these goods need to be inspected before each shipment.
3. Tariff
1) Different countries enjoy different tax rates
In Uzbekistan's foreign trade, importing countries are divided into three categories and different import tax policies are given to each country, using tariff rates to regulate Uzbekistan's domestic production, manufacturing, and consumption orientation. The following three types of countries enjoy different tax rates in Uzbekistan. It is recommended that relevant import and export traders pay attention to and learn from them:
① The countries that are exempt from import tariffs on goods include:
Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Moldova. These countries are all members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and have signed a free economic zone agreement with Uzbekistan, exempting each other from import tariffs.
② The countries that pay Uzbekistan's import tariffs according to the current import tax rate table are:
Austria, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Vietnam, Germany, Greece, Denmark, India, Ireland, Spain, Italy, South Korea, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the United States, Türkiye, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Estonia, Japan. These countries have signed mutual Most Favored Nation (MFN) treatment agreements with Ukraine, and commercial imports to Ukraine are subject to tariffs at the current rates.
③ Except for the above countries, imported goods from other countries or goods originating from such countries, even if transported to Uzbekistan through other countries, are subject to double import tariffs.
2) Different goods have different tax rates
① 52 types of goods, including fruits, vegetables, beverages, leather clothing, cosmetics, cars, televisions, photography equipment, entertainment products, etc., are subject to an average import tariff of 20%.
② The import tariff for other goods is generally 1% of the contract value.
③ Some products are also subject to consumption tax.
4. Customs regulations
When exporting packages to Uzbekistan via express delivery and the recipient is an individual:
1) Non commodity express: declared value.
2) Goods express delivery: Corresponding customs duties, value-added tax, and other customs fees need to be paid.
5. Precautions for railway transportation
1) Operation process
The shipper shall first provide the logistics company with the booking commission and customs declaration materials, and inform the carrier whether to deliver the goods to the designated station for packing, or drag the empty container to the designated place for loading. At the same time, the carrier's operator shall arrange the railway booking plan. After the completion of packing, the arrival report shall be submitted to the customs by the customs declarer, and then enter the customs document review process. After the release, the goods can be loaded into the station and shipped to the destination. In the middle, the goods also need to be reloaded at the Alataw Pass Khorgos Port. After the train arrives at the destination, it will be hoisted to the designated supervision area of the customs, and the customs declarer will carry out the customs clearance operation. After the customs release, the containers will be taken away from the station. There are two ways to receive the goods: the consignee will Unpacking and picking up the goods at the designated place, and the other way is to send the goods to the designated place for receiving (to the door), thus completing the whole process of railway container transportation.
2) Four points to note
① The booking and shipping locations are different. At present, most cities in China have opened services for China Europe and Central Asia freight trains. Shippers can choose carriers nearby for booking and loading operations, in order to reduce transportation costs and cargo damage caused by transit loading and unloading. However, the disadvantage is that the frequency of train operation in different cities is unstable, and the loading plan will be constrained by different cities; Alternatively, it is possible to choose cities with longer distances but more frequent and stable scheduled shipments for booking and shipping. Conversely, this would result in increased costs and loading and unloading times for bulk cargo transportation.
② The operation process of railway FCL and LCL is different. Generally, railway trains only accept full container transportation and booking. If the shipper's cargo volume is less than one full container, they can only choose the LCL service initiated by the freight forwarding company. Multiple goods sent to the same destination station are consolidated into one full container and shipped together. The operation process includes delivering the goods to the designated warehouse and then LCL entering the port.
③ The customs declaration locations are different in the integration of customs clearance. At present, all export customs declarations can be initiated at the location of the enterprise, and can be initiated wherever the company is located; At the same time, it can also be initiated at the place of origin of the container, that is to say, when the goods are sent to a railway station in a different location for shipment, it is initiated at the place of shipment; It can also be initiated when the goods arrive at a certain port. In short, the integration of customs clearance solves the flexibility of customs declaration for goods. Of course, there are also certain risks in the location of customs declaration initiation. Generally, it is initiated from the place of origin, and once problems arise, they can be solved and handled on site.
④ The ports of entry and exit for China Europe and Central Asia trains have different locations for changing equipment. At present, all China Europe Central Asia trains transit to Kazakhstan through the Alataw Pass port in Xinjiang, China. Since the track spacing of China's railway is 1435mm, and the track gauge of Kazakhstan's railway is 1520mm, it is necessary to transfer containers to each other's railway wagons for foreign transportation. The transfer time is basically within two hours. This link does not require the involvement of the shipper and the carrier, and it is all coordinated by the railway, port, customs and border inspection departments. However, it is particularly important to note that the outbound containers are transferred in Dostok or Atenko, Kazakhstan, while the inbound containers are transferred in Alataw Pass or Khorgos.
