In Uzbekistan, car imports have sharply declined. An expert suggests that new non-tariff measures may be the reason behind this drop.

The total import amount has significantly decreased – from 221 million dollars to 31 million dollars, which is 7.1 times less. Economist Temurmalik Elmurodov believes that the reason for this is the new procedure for passing technical inspections: since November of last year, they have been conducted at the testing ground in Pskent.

According to the expert, the testing ground does not have sufficient capacity to handle the previous volume of supplies.

"All of this, of course, may reduce the availability of imported cars and, as a consequence, lead to their price increase," he states.

The expert notes that a sharp decline after a rapid increase is a common phenomenon. He explains that this happens when the market temporarily "satiates."

"However, this is unlikely in Uzbekistan, as demand for cars significantly exceeds supply," he concluded.

It is worth noting that the procedure for technical inspection of imported cars changed on November 1. Now, vehicles imported from abroad undergo testing not in the customs territory but at the automotive testing ground in the Pskent district of Tashkent region. Shortly after the new system was launched, citizens began to complain about long queues for inspections. To reduce them, an electronic queue system was later implemented there.

It is important to remember that starting May 1, 2025, the rates for the recycling fee for imported electric vehicles will be increased. The Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade acknowledged that Uzbekistan, through this non-tariff measure, aims to support domestic production, among other things. Experts have already noted that this innovation could predictably lead to a decrease in the volume of "electric car" imports.