January 13 2004, 13:52 Interfax

Uzbekistan introduced duties for some foodstuffs and farm products

Since January 1, 2004 Uzbekistan introduced duties on imports of some food products, which had been imported under duty-free procedure before, Interfax news agency informed.

According to the government's resolution, about 120 items of food products - former subject to zero import duty - will be now charged with import duty in the amount of 5 percent of the customs value.

The 5 percent duty introduced for many kinds of dairy products (in particular, milk, butter, cheeses, curds), meat products, fish and fish products, vegetable and animal-origin fats and oils.

Ten-percent duty is introduced on imports of meat and variety meats.

Beet-origin sugar (former a subject of duty-free imports) is now charged with 30-percent import duty. As an exemption, a zero import duty is retained for import of cane-origin sugar.

Also a 30-percent duty is imposed on imports of wheat flour and wheat/rye groats (except for flours made of hard varieties of wheat and rye, which has been charged with a 5-percent duty).

A source in the press-service of the country's State Customs Committee has told the news agency that the new duties are aimed at provision of additional protection to the Uzbek producers of food products, and will enable the government to pursue an efficient tariff policy.