President Mirziyoyev signed decree on January 30 requiring laboratory testing of palm oil and products containing palm oil and trans fats.

Mandatory testing in accredited laboratories will be required as of March 1 for a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion for imported palm oil, as well as products containing palm oil and trans isomers of fatty acids (trans fats), including milk and dairy products,.

The checks will be on the basis of current technical regulations and standards.

In addition, harsher oversight over the use of palm oil in food products will be put in place. and sale of food products.

Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Davron Vakhabov said on December 10, 2024, after a meeting with the president, that confectionery manufacturers in 2022 asked to waive imports of palm and coconut oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as other raw materials not produced in Uzbekistan, from duties.

Then the president approved these benefits, their validity expired on January 1. To support manufacturers, Shavkat Mirziyoyev approved a proposal to extend the benefits for another two years, Vakhabov said.

The import of palm oil to Uzbekistan began in the 2000s. The first deliveries amounted to about 5,000 tons. In 2016-2018, about 50 thousand tons were imported annually, and in January-May 2019, this figure was 31 thousand tons.

However, the figures are now lower. According to the Customs Committee, last year the volume of imports dropped by almost 40% over the year — from 39.7 thousand to 24.2 thousand tons, and the cost of supplies decreased to 27 million dollars (-46%). Sunflower oil imports also decreased by 3.5% — to 294.1 thousand tons, and the cost of supplies amounted to 265.2 million dollars.