Proposals for the development of e-commerce and improvement of the work of bonded warehouses were considered

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation of proposals aimed at developing e-commerce and establishing bonded warehouse operations, the press service of the head of our state reports.

Over the past eight years, e-commerce in our country has grown 20-fold, reaching $1.3 billion. There are more than 120 digital platforms. By expanding self-employment regulations and simplifying licensing and taxation, 750,000 high-income jobs have been created in this sector, and the budget receives additional tax revenues of 200 billion soums annually.

At the same time, numerous untapped opportunities in this sector were noted. In particular, the share of e-commerce in retail trade in Uzbekistan is 4-4.6 percent, which is five times lower than the global average of 22 percent. Our country has the potential to increase this share to 9-11 percent.

In the context of developing e-commerce infrastructure, the presentation focused on the creation of specialized warehouses—bonds—designed for storing imported goods under customs control with a deferred payment of customs duties and taxes.

As noted, the introduction of a system for paying customs duties on goods at the point of sale allows for the creation of conditions for attracting investments of at least $500 million. It was emphasized that this practice is widely used in countries such as Russia, China, Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Singapore.

Currently, the total area of ​​warehouse space in Uzbekistan is 634,000 square meters, 72 percent of which is in the capital and Tashkent region. Only 34 percent of existing warehouses are classified as modern Class A. Experts estimate that 2.5 million square meters of modern warehouse space will be needed to ensure sustainable economic growth in the country over the next five years.

In this regard, it has been proposed to expand the network of modern warehouses for major international marketplaces in the country.

The need for deep integration of digital platforms and bonded warehouses with tax and customs systems was emphasized. A new mechanism based on the “import – bonded warehouse – dedicated electronic trading platform – consumer” cycle was proposed for pilot implementation in 2026-2028.

Under this procedure, goods are stored in a bonded warehouse, sold through a dedicated electronic trading platform, and customs declaration and payment of duties are carried out directly at the sale stage. Such platforms and warehouses will be included in the relevant registries and registered with the Customs Committee.

It was noted that bonded warehouses will facilitate access to foreign markets for domestic producers, reduce the burden on working capital, reduce logistics costs, and enhance export competitiveness.

The head of state gave instructions to decision-makers on transforming e-commerce into a driver of the economy, creating a modern infrastructure in this area, and fostering a favorable and transparent environment for digital platforms.