Phone import duty may drop to zero ahead of WTO entry: what changes for suppliers
Uzbekistan's Customs Committee proposes cutting the phone import duty from 5% to 0% for WTO entry. The budget loses 300–400 billion soum; buyers gain about 5%.
What happened
Uzbekistan's Customs Committee has proposed cutting the import duty on mobile phones from 5% to 0% as part of the country's WTO accession talks. The committee estimates the budget will lose 300–400 billion soum, while buyers pay about 5% less. VAT stays.
The timing matters. The committee defended the duty until recently, citing budget revenue and protection of official suppliers from grey imports. It also linked the airport suspension of phone customs clearance in Tashkent to suspected fake IMEI codes. So the debate covers both the rate and how imports are controlled.
What it means for suppliers
Legal importers working through official channels gain the most. A zero duty lowers landed cost, which gives room to adjust price without losing margin. Retailers and distributors will want to revisit their price lists — but only once the decision takes effect, not on the day it is announced.
Adjacent categories feel it indirectly: accessories, chargers, repairs, logistics. Cheaper devices mean faster turnover and more add-on orders. Watch how customs administers IMEI. Tighter checks could slow clearance more than the zero rate helps.
Public procurement is not a direct channel here. Phones rarely come in large tender lots; they usually sit inside IT equipment and office hardware packages. According to TenderLabs data as of 12 November 2026, the IT sector has 1,448 open lots — the largest category after medicine and construction — and some include communications gear and peripherals. If you sell to government buyers, that is where to look.
The WTO link means the start date depends on the talks, not on a single decree. No effective date was named at publication. Follow tariff decisions closely.
What to do now
- 1Rework your import unit economics: model the price at 0% with VAT kept, and compare it with today's cost. That shows your real room to discount.
- 2Check supplier contracts: are prices fixed, and who captures the duty saving — you or your foreign partner?
- 3Clean up IMEI and certification paperwork. If controls tighten, this is where the bottleneck will be.
- 4Review open IT lots on TenderLabs to see whether your product list fits government demand.
- 5Track tariff decisions and WTO terms. Do not build the zero duty into your prices until it is in force.
Photo: Spot.uz