Uzbekistan Relaxes Customs Rules on Dietary Supplements and Vitamins
The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan has officially updated its customs regulations to allow citizens to import up to three kilogrammes of biologically active dietary supplements from abroad without paying duty.
Under the newly approved guidelines, a single traveller is permitted to bring in up to 10 different varieties of vitamins and health supplements for personal use. To qualify for duty-free entry, each specific preparation must be limited to one item and must remain in its original factory packaging.
Before these amendments were introduced, the country lacked definitive weight restrictions for the personal import of such goods. This legal ambiguity frequently resulted in misunderstandings, delays and disputes at border checkpoints. Customs officers would often interpret large personal supplies of vitamins as attempts to smuggle commercial quantities into the republic.
The demand for health products in Uzbekistan has seen significant growth in recent years. Supplements currently make up nearly 10% of the national pharmacy market. Furthermore, survey data reveals that every third resident in major urban areas consumes them regularly.
Despite this high demand, previous bureaucratic hurdles meant that an estimated 90% of all foreign supplements entered the country illegally via grey market channels. This new legislative approach is expected to allow citizens to safely acquire their preferred international supplements during their travels without the risk of confiscation while simultaneously helping the government create a more transparent domestic market.
