Distributing a product

Market shares

The distribution system of foodstuffs corresponds to the lifestyle of the Uzbeks. Markets (souks) exist alongside small supermarkets that sell the same type of products. The latter are mostly situated at cross-roads whereas the souks are organized area-wise. In addition, all along the roads, independent sellers offer products from their agricultural activities.  The distribution circuits are quite small. There exists two types of retail trade. The first consists of road-side markets, targeted mostly at a low-income population. The second type is mostly reserved for the rich people and for foreigners. There are no retail chains here. The supermarkets belong to foreign firms, notably Turkish. There is no specific brand of distributor.

Organizations in the retail sector

We can identify professional tradeshows on your sector.

Market access procedures

International Conventions

Party to the Kyoto protocol
Party to the Montreal protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer

International economic cooperation

Uzbekistan is a part of two big regional organizations - The Economic Eurasiatic Community and the Organization of Economic Cooperation.

Non tariff barriers

There are lists of 'non-priority' goods for which no authorization is granted (for some food products and drinks). There is another 'negative list' which includes certain high quality textiles, carpets, crystals, foodstuffs for dogs and cats and tourist cars.
Imports of medicines, firearms, precious metals, uranium and other radioactive products, foreign and "research data" movies and videos are submitted to a very strict import authorization. The import of publications, manuscripts, video, audio and photo instruments "likely to do harm to the State and the Social order", as well as pornographic material are prohibited.
Export is also strictly regulated : in principle, cereals, bakery products, meat and live animals, milk powder, tea, sugar, etc. cannot be exported.

Customs duties and taxes on imports

Visit the website of the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan.

Customs classification

In June 2008, Uzbekistan was among the countries that expressed their intention to apply the norms of the World Customs Organization, which envisages the security and facilitation of world trade.

Also visit the website of the United Nations and that of the Customs Committee.

Import procedures

The registration of an import contract for a value equal or less than 50 000 USD, is done within 5 working days after its submission at the Uzbek Ministry for Exterior Economic Relations. For a value greater than 50 000 USD, the registration is done within 10 working days after its declaration.
For an import contract that has been appraised and depending on the quantity and quality of the delivery as well as the price level, registration should be carried out within 2 working days from the time of submission of documents, except if prior authorization is required. After a final positive decision, the contract is registered in the official register according the type of registration certificate of the contract. 

For further information

Website of the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan

We can indicate you which are the customs duties applied to your product.

Find out the local taxes that apply to your product.

Organizing goods transport

Main useful means of transport

Being far from all maritime outlets, Uzbekistan has a railway network that is still very much oriented towards the ex-USSR. It is currently developing its road network.

Ports

Airports

International airports of Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara and Urganch

Sea transport organizations

Air transport organizations

Uzbekistan Airways

Road transport organizations

Rail transport organizations

Get a ballpark figure for transportation costs for your product in this country through a shipping estimate.

Identifying a supplier

Type of production

The principal industrial sectors are the textiles, foodstuffs, metallurgy and chemicals sectors. The last few years, the telecommunications and automobile sectors saw a remarkable development. Uzbekistan is the third producer of gas among the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) states.

Business directories

The Yellow Pages

Manufacturers associations of the main industries

Association of the manufacturers of the Uzbek electrotechnical branch

Trade Agencies and their representations abroad

Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Enterprises federation

Uzbek Association of International Forwarders

Standards

National standards organizations

Uzstandart- Office of metrology and certification

Integration in the international standards network

Uzstandard, the Uzbek agency for standardization, metrology and certification, represents the Republic of Uzbekistan at the following international bodies:
- International Standards Organization (ISO)
- International Organization for Legal Metrology (OILM)
- Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC)
- International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC)

For more information, directly contact infocenter@standart.uz

Classification of standards

Uzbekistan still uses a set of technical norms based on the soviet methods. There are more than 65,000 documents concerning to these norms.

Online consultation of standards

Visit the website of Uzstandard.

Certification organizations

The Center for Inspection and Certification

Find out the standards and labelling requirements that apply to your products.

Intellectual Property

National organizations

Consult the Uzbek Republican Agency for Copyright. Uzbekistan still observes the convention leading to the establishment of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Paris Convention (industrial property rights) and the Madrid agreement (trademarks) and the Patent Co-operation Treaty (PCT).
The patents office of 1993 and the patents given by the ex-USSR must once again be registered as well as the trademarks (subsequent to the passing of a law by the Uzbekistan Parliament).

Regional organizations

Uzbekistan is not a member of any of the regional organizations in the domain of Intellectual Property but the Uzbek Republican Agency for Copyright maintains links with the WIPO as well as its Kazakh, Kirghiz and Russian counterparts.

 

Also see the website of the State Patent Office of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
It may also be useful to consult the following Russian websites:

- The Russian organization for Copyrights.
- Information Portal on Copyrights and Patents in Russia.