Central Asia Import Rules Shift: Uzbekistan Lifts Annual

For Chinese exporters this is both a window and a dividing line: Uzbekistan loosened its annual cap, Kazakhstan tightened OTTC certification, and Kyrgyzstan's duty-free quota is nearly exhausted — so quotes now need per-country recalculation.

Uzbekistan scrapped its nearly 9-year-old restriction on 5 June — Decree 104 abolished the one-certificate-per-car-per-year rule. In 2024 it imported about 74,700 vehicles worth $1.28 billion from China, an 81.7% share, while LHD, petrol Euro 4 and diesel Euro 5 requirements remain unchanged. Exporters can now consolidate single-car orders into bulk trade lots.

Kazakhstan keeps OTTC type approval plus VAT. Certification follows TR CU 018/2011; a full cycle takes 6-10 weeks and costs $50,000-150,000. Euro 5 is fully mandatory from 2026, so Euro 4 models cannot obtain a certificate — certify every model before shipment and spread the cost into the landed quote.

Kyrgyzstan raised its 2026 duty-free quota from 10,000 to 15,000 units, but 14,014 had been used by late August — only 986 slots remain, then a 15% duty applies. In 2025 it re-exported 53,600 new cars to Russia, 84% Chinese brands — a narrowing window that directly affects Russia and Belarus channel timing.

Act: build a per-country comparison table — eligibility, certification time, duties, remaining quota; require valid certificates with expiry liability and put shipment deadlines plus policy buffers into delivery terms; share the rule changes with your Russia-Belarus channel customers before they quote under old rules.

What certifications are required to import used cars from China?
Requirements vary by destination (e.g. EAEU needs SBKTS/OTTC, GCC for the Middle East). EZ Auto handles compliant documents and certification per the destination customs, confirming clearance before shipment to avoid port hold-ups.

What recent policy changes affect Chinese vehicle exports?
EV subsidies are phasing out while export licensing and shipping capacity fluctuate. EZ Auto tracks destination tariffs and certification changes and updates them in the News section for procurement decisions.

Can an individual buy a car directly from China for export?
Possible, but with document and customs hurdles. Most buyers order through a licensed exporter like EZ Auto, which handles the contract, export declaration and destination paperwork; you only handle pickup and local registration.

What export documents are needed for used cars?
Core documents include the commercial invoice, packing list, export customs declaration, bill of lading and the destination's import clearance papers. EZ Auto prepares the full set before shipment to ensure smooth clearance abroad and avoid demurrage.

Do destination countries limit the age of imported vehicles?
New cars are mostly unrestricted; used cars often face an age cap (e.g. some Middle East and Africa markets require within 5-8 years). EZ Auto checks the destination's age rule before shipping and screens out non-compliant units to avoid rejection at port.

This article is published by EZ Auto. EZ Auto (Cheyixing Automobile Import & Export) specializes in exporting Chinese vehicles — new, used and parts — serving Latin America, Central Asia & CIS, Africa, the Middle East and the EU, with order-based sourcing, inspection with photo report, export documentation and ocean freight in one place.