Import restrictions on diapers and baby items to be cancelled in Uzbekistan

Last year, the Cabinet of Ministers issued a resolution classifying seven types of goods, including baby diapers, as “high-risk,” introducing a requirement for mandatory state registration. This move sharply reduced diaper imports, and certain products became unavailable in stores. The president has now instructed that the procedure, which came into effect on November 15, be revoked.

Photo: Shutterstock

Uzbekistan will abolish the practice of mandatory state registration for products deemed to carry a high level of risk. President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced this during a videoconference meeting held today, April 18.

The term “high-risk” products refers to the following seven categories specified in the Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution from August 2024, which took effect on November 15:

Pacifiers for children;
Headwear for children under 3 years of age;
Clothing for children under 3, including pajamas, underwear, pants, warm shirts, undershirts, tank tops, diapers, caps, sliders, short shirts, innerwear, and buttonless jackets;
Tights, socks, stockings, knee-highs, and similar clothing items for children under 3;
Absorbent materials (diapers), as well as hygiene cotton swabs (for cleaning the nose and ears) and other similar products intended for children;
Feeding utensils for children under 3;
Toothbrushes.

Under the resolution, these items were subject to mandatory state registration.

Following the implementation of this regulation, the import of baby diapers decreased, and reports began circulating on social media that some types of diapers were no longer available in stores.

An entrepreneur interviewed by Kun.uz described the regulation as “bureaucratic and an artificial barrier that limits competition.” The Agency for Technical Regulation, meanwhile, admitted it was unaware of how many certification centers were responsible for inspecting diapers.

According to the Customs Committee, Uzbekistan imported 5,796 tons of hygiene pads and diapers for women and children during January–March 2025. This is 2,411 tons—or 1.7 times—less than the 3,385 tons imported during the same period in 2024.

It is not yet clear when the regulation will be officially repealed.

#import #diaper #toothbrush