Uzbekistan Tightens Food-Safety and Phytosanitary Rules to Deepen EU Market Access

Uzbekistan is accelerating the alignment of its food-safety and phytosanitary regime with European Union and WTO standards, aiming to expand agricultural exports, secure GSP+ preferences and cement its role in EU agri-food supply chains. Tighter rules on origin, traceability, and plant and animal health are expected to support higher-value exports of dried fruit, pulses, herbs and fresh produce. For commodity traders, the move signals a structural shift in Central Asian supply options for the European market.

The latest push comes as Uzbekistan’s exports to the EU have nearly tripled since it obtained GSP+ status in April 2021, giving tariff-free or reduced-duty access for over 6,200 product categories. The country is incorporating more than 30 international phytosanitary norms into national law and overhauling sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) institutions as part of its WTO accession process and the new EU–Uzbekistan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which provisionally entered into force on 1 March 2026.

Introduction

Uzbekistan has embarked on a comprehensive upgrade of its food-safety, veterinary and plant-health framework to meet EU and WTO requirements. Recent regulatory changes include new laws on food safety, wider use of risk-based controls, and the incorporation of over 30 international SPS standards into national legislation. A unified Food Safety Committee has also been created to coordinate policy and enforcement.

These steps are closely linked to Tashkent’s goal of completing WTO accession in 2026 and leveraging both GSP+ and the EPCA to expand exports of agri-food products to the EU. The EU is a relatively small but rapidly growing outlet: EU27 agri-food imports from Uzbekistan reached €128 million in 2025, up 71.8% year-on-year, and now account for 12.6% of EU–Uzbekistan trade.

Immediate Market Impact

In the near term, stricter controls and certification demands may create compliance costs and administrative friction for Uzbek exporters, especially smaller farms and processors. However, they also reduce the risk of border rejections, emergency import bans and reputational damage in the EU market, all of which can be highly disruptive for dried fruit and nut trade. The shift from mandatory state registration towards risk-based certification for high‑risk products is intended to simplify procedures and support more predictable export flows.

For EU buyers, Uzbekistan’s regulatory upgrade could broaden the supplier base for certain niche and off-season products, particularly dried fruits, pulses and specialty herbs. Early evidence of diversification is visible in rising shipments to new EU destinations such as Belgium, which imported 807 tonnes of Uzbek products worth over US$1 million in the first half of 2026. Over time, alignment with EU SPS norms under the EPCA should also facilitate faster clearance and fewer consignment-specific checks, potentially narrowing logistics risk premia embedded in contract prices.

Supply Chain Disruptions

The transition phase carries execution risks. Farms and packers that lack internationally recognised certifications such as GlobalG.A.P. or HACCP could face temporary exclusion from EU supply chains until they upgrade facilities and documentation. Previous government guidance has underlined that large EU retailers typically require Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognised schemes, raising the bar for Uzbek exporters.

Certification bottlenecks, audit backlogs and laboratory capacity constraints could slow the issuance of export documents, delaying shipments and creating bunching at key logistics hubs. As SPS controls are rolled out across production, processing and export stages, traders should expect tighter shipment scheduling and potentially longer lead times during 2026–27. However, once the new systems stabilise, the risk of sudden disruptions due to non‑compliance incidents should diminish.

Commodities Potentially Affected

• Dried grapes (raisins) and dried plums: Core Uzbek export lines to the EU; stricter residue, traceability and certification requirements could initially limit eligible suppliers, but successful compliance would support access to premium supermarket channels and higher unit values.
• Pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas): Enhanced phytosanitary controls on storage pests and mycotoxins are key for bulk shipments; improved standards may make Uzbek origin more competitive against regional suppliers in South and Central Asia.
• Dried herbs and spices: Upgraded hygiene and contaminant controls could unlock demand from EU food manufacturers that require GFSI‑aligned sourcing, tightening quality differentiation and price spreads between certified and uncertified origins.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables (melons, stone fruit, vegetables): Harmonisation with EU SPS rules, including zoning and pest-free area recognition, should gradually facilitate more seasonal fresh shipments via EU distribution hubs.
• Processed agri-food products: As food-safety legislation and risk-based controls deepen, value-added items such as juices, snacks and ingredients may see easier entry under GSP+ preferences, provided rules-of-origin and labelling are met.

Regional Trade Implications

If successfully implemented, Uzbekistan’s reforms could redirect a portion of its horticultural exports from traditional CIS and regional markets towards higher-value EU outlets. The EU already accounts for roughly 12–13% of its agri-food trade; strong growth rates suggest this share will rise as SPS alignment and EPCA implementation progress.

For EU importers, particularly in the Benelux, Germany and Central/Eastern Europe, Uzbekistan offers an additional Central Asian origin that can complement or partially substitute supplies from Turkey, Iran and some Mediterranean producers, especially in dried fruit and beans. Competitor origins that face higher tariffs or more frequent SPS incidents could lose share in specific segments if Uzbek suppliers demonstrate consistent compliance and logistics reliability.

Market Outlook

In the short term, the market impact is likely to be micro rather than macro: firm-level adjustments, selective shipment delays and a sharper split between compliant and non-compliant suppliers. Price effects for EU buyers may be modest but visible in quality premia and contract structures, with a greater emphasis on long-term partnerships and traceability guarantees with Uzbek counterparties.

Over the medium term, completion of WTO accession and full implementation of EPCA SPS provisions could entrench Uzbekistan as a stable, rules-based supplier for certain horticultural and specialty agri-food products. Traders will monitor the pace of certification uptake, laboratory and inspection capacity, and any high-profile SPS notifications or rapid-alert cases that might signal execution challenges.

CMB Market Insight

Uzbekistan’s move to strengthen food-safety and phytosanitary standards is strategically significant for EU-centered agri-food supply chains. While the transition phase may generate some operational friction and selective delays, the overall trajectory points towards lower regulatory risk, higher-quality flows and a broader supplier base for European buyers in dried fruits, pulses, herbs and fresh produce.

For commodity traders and industrial users, the reforms warrant closer engagement with emerging Uzbek exporters, particularly those investing in internationally recognised certification and integrated traceability systems. Over time, this policy shift could tighten competition in key EU market segments and modestly reshape regional trade patterns in high-value horticultural products.