Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Apr. 29
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
In accordance with the joint decision of the Ministry of Finance and the State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan, starting from April 27, the marginal rate of free import of goods by individuals through postal and courier services has been set in the country in the amount of up to $1,000 from countries which are not neighboring ones.
The goods worth up to $1,000 entering the territory of Uzbekistan, addressed to individuals in international or courier mail from the territories of non-neighboring countries, are exempt from customs duties, according to the decree published in the local media.
At the same time, this rate of free import is applied only in the case of receipt of goods through legal entities providing postal and courier services, and is not applied to goods coming to Uzbekistan to natural persons in any other way.
The rate of duty-free import of consumer goods by individuals to Uzbekistan from neighboring countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan) has been maintained at $10.
In January 2015, the customs service of Uzbekistan suspended the simplified regime of international mail for individuals delivered by alternative operators, including DHL, Fedex and other major international postal and courier services, which operate in the country.
In January 2015, the recipients of parcels received in Uzbekistan through courier companies, were required to make customs payments during import of goods (customs duties, fees for customs clearance and VAT). The State Customs Committee of Uzbekistan in its explanation then referred to the lack of legislative exemptions from payment of customs duties for courier shipments.
Before the suspension of the simplified regime, individuals could import duty-free packages to Uzbekistan in the amount of up to 1,000 euros and weighing up to 30 kilograms by express delivery service at simplified customs procedures.
In accordance with the decree of the State Customs Committee, the activities of alternative operators were likened to a courier service, which meant that "the courier sending is not a kind of postal service and has no privileges during customs clearance."
Benefits at customs clearance were reserved only for the national postal operator, Uzbekistan Pochtasi JSC.
Currently, there are 50 alternative operators that provide international postal services in Uzbekistan.