Access to Temu restricted in Uzbekistan following new regulations

As of today, March 20, disruptions have been observed in the operation of China’s Temu marketplace in Uzbekistan. To clarify the situation, QALAMPIR.UZ contacted the press service of the National Agency for Perspective Projects.

According to the agency, Clause 2 of the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 885, dated December 26, 2024, on “Measures to Further Develop E-Commerce in Uzbekistan,” stipulates that only legal entities registered as residents of Uzbekistan may operate as e-commerce or online trading platform operators. This regulation came into effect on the date of the resolution’s official publication.

During the review of foreign e-commerce platforms serving Uzbek citizens, it was found that some platforms were not complying with Uzbekistan’s laws on e-commerce, retail trade, advertising, personal data protection, consumer rights, copyright, and related rights.

Based on these findings and by Uzbekistan’s legislation, access to foreign e-commerce platforms, including Temu, has been restricted as of March 20.

Currently, Uzbek users can still access the Temu app, but certain operational issues have been noted. However, access to the marketplace’s official website is blocked. When attempting to visit the site, users are shown a notification stating that access has been restricted under the Cabinet of Ministers’ resolution on “Measures to Further Improve Information Security on the Global Internet.”

Previously, it was reported that China’s Temu online marketplace had registered as a legal entity in Uzbekistan. According to the Tax Committee, Temu is now registered as a legal entity and resident of Uzbekistan. However, unresolved issues regarding past operations remain under discussion. Negotiations are ongoing, and a final decision on the platform’s activities will be announced upon the conclusion of this process.