Uzbekistan is planning to eliminate customs duties on production inputs for 15 categories of goods — ranging from confectionery and baby food to sunflower oil and beverages.

The decision addresses a “tariff inversion” issue: in many cases, importing finished products is currently cheaper than producing them domestically due to duties on raw materials. As a result, local manufacturers lose competitiveness.

The goal is to reduce production costs and increase utilization of domestic manufacturing capacity, especially amid growing import restrictions and reliance on supplies from CIS countries.

This is only the first step: the list is currently limited to 15 categories, but authorities are open to expanding it based on business demand.