Uzbekistan sees sharp drop in appliance imports amid stricter import regulations

The Customs Committee has launched a database containing information on the most imported goods into Uzbekistan. After studying the disclosed data, Kun.uz noted a significant decrease in the import of certain types of electrical appliances.

It was revealed that in the first seven months of 2024, electrical products worth $556.8 million were imported. The import of goods in this category decreased by 1.7% compared to the previous year.

Specifically, in the first seven months of last year, 281,193 air conditioners worth $43.8 million were imported, while during the same period this year, this figure decreased by $14.8 million in value and 137,297 units in quantity. The quantitative reduction amounted to 51.2%.

The import of refrigerators and freezers decreased by 35.4%, from 185,426 units to 119,805 units.

From January to July, 128,690 microwave ovens were imported into Uzbekistan, which is 19,131 units fewer than the same period last year (147,821 units), representing a 13% decrease.

Additionally, during this period, the import of irons decreased by 45.8% (from 597,387 units to 323,440 units), and the import of televisions fell by 43.3% (from 153,125 units to 86,771 units).

Meanwhile, the import of washing machines increased by 16.5% (from 159,626 units to 186,064 units), and the import of electric water heaters rose by 2.2% (from 87,234 units to 89,160 units).

Why Did Imports Decrease Sharply?

In the first seven months of 2024, $127.7 million worth of household appliances were imported into Uzbekistan. This figure was $176.3 million for the same period last year, representing a 27.5% decrease.

Starting from February 1, 2024, Uzbekistan imposed a requirement that 13 types of household appliances can only be imported by authorized representatives or official dealers of the manufacturers. The list includes:

•  Aluminum radiators
•  Water heaters
•  Boilers
•  Steam boilers
•  Vacuum cleaners
•  Washing machines
•  Refrigerators, freezers
•  Televisions, monitors
•  Household gas stoves
•  Ovens, stoves
•  Microwave ovens
•  Irons
•  Electric kettles
•  Air conditioners
•  Water pumps

Additionally, starting from February, refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners imported into Uzbekistan must undergo energy efficiency testing. Without obtaining a test report, these items cannot receive a conformity certificate and cannot be sold in Uzbekistan.

It should be noted that since 2019, customs duties have been imposed on a range of electrical products. For example, the customs duty for air conditioners is 30%.