Tajikistan raised customs duties on imported ceramic tiles last year, but this does not apply to products from Uzbekistan due to the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries.
On February 12, Khurshed Karimzoda, head of Tajikistan’s Customs Service, told reporters in Dushanbe that there are no significant issues regarding duties on ceramic tiles from Uzbekistan.
Earlier, representatives of some Uzbek companies had reported increasing barriers from Tajik authorities, which were hindering product deliveries. According to them, since December 1, 2025, Tajikistan imposed an additional charge of $150 per ton on imported ceramic tiles, with a base customs value set at $300, bringing a total amount to $450.
“Regarding the issue raised in the media, there are no significant problems. Sometimes the information is presented in such a way that it creates the impression of serious difficulties. In fact, no significant problems exist,” Karimzoda said.
He added that most challenges arise due to the actions of suppliers.
“When importing goods—whether ceramic tiles or products from Uzbekistan—suppliers often fail to provide the full set of documents required by Tajikistan’s Customs Code,” he noted.
Additionally, Karimzoda mentioned that customs authorities often have doubts about the accuracy of the declared value of goods.
“In such cases, according to Article 354 of the Customs Code, the Customs Service has the right to apply one of six methods to determine the customs value. If documents are incomplete, the registration is based on the internal market price of Tajikistan, as determined by the working group of the service,” he explained.
He further clarified that in most cases, goods from Uzbekistan are registered at the transaction price.
Karimzoda also pointed out that dissatisfaction often arises because Uzbek suppliers list prices below market value in their declarations.
“Our market analysis shows that actual prices are much higher than those declared. Complaints arose due to claims that the prices of ceramic tiles were allegedly inflated,” he said.
He gave a similar example with cement: "Back in 2021, we set the import price of cement from Uzbekistan at $300 per ton to protect the domestic market," he reminded. In 2025, Uzbekistan also imposed duties on cement imports to support its own producers.
Karimzoda mentioned that last year, a ceramic tile manufacturing plant was launched in Tajikistan. Consequently, the government decided to increase customs duties on imported ceramic tiles.
"Given the existing Free Trade Agreement with Uzbekistan, these measures do not apply to Uzbek products," he emphasized.
He also clarified that within the framework of the agreement, 37 product categories were removed from the free trade regime and are now subject to duties, but ceramic tiles are not among them.
In conclusion, Karimzoda stated that the launch of the new factory in Dushanbe would help reduce dependence on imports and improve the supply of the domestic market.
