Uzbekistan, Korea boost customs cooperation

Uzbekistan and Korea agreed to boost customs cooperation in Tashkent on Friday.

Uzbekistan’s customs committee chairman Akmalkhuja Mavlonov and chief of the Korea Customs Service Ko Kwang-hyo signed a protocol amending the Uzbekistan-South Korea agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs.

According to Uzbekistan's customs committee, the two sides agreed to solidify technical cooperation to crack down on trade crimes, develop customs administration capabilities, and operate training programs through mutual customs expertise.

The committee introduced customs control forms, clearance processes, automated information systems inspection complexes, favorable conditions for cargo carriers, the economic activity of foreign counterparts, and a risk management system.

Korea is Uzbekistan's leading trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region and has emerged as one of its major strategic partners, the committee said.

“Service dogs prepared by the National Cynology Center were exported to Korea in August of this year," the Uzbek committee official told The Korea Herald.

Uzbekistan has reduced customs control and clearance timing using digitalization, said the official.

The delegation led by Ko also visited a natural juice enterprise that produces fruit juices in Tashkent and annually exports 250 tons to Korea, the official said.