Market
Dried licorice root in Uzbekistan is supplied from a mix of natural stands (notably in river delta ecosystems) and cultivation, and is positioned primarily as an industrial botanical raw material rather than a retail consumer product. Production and collection are commonly associated with the Amudarya delta area (including Karakalpakstan and Khorezm) and additional provinces where licorice occurs along rivers and in degraded or saline lands. Uzbekistan is described by UN-linked materials as a major exporter of licorice root, supported by local enterprises that recycle/process root into exportable forms and extracts. The most material structural constraint for this product-country pair is ecological: documented over-exploitation has reduced natural licorice habitats, increasing supply and compliance risk for buyers dependent on wild-collected material.
Market RoleMajor producer and exporter
Domestic RoleIndustrial botanical raw material for processing (cut root and extract) and export-oriented trade
Risks
Sustainability HighOver-exploitation has been reported to reduce natural licorice habitats in Uzbekistan (including the Amudarya delta / Karakalpakstan context), creating a credible risk of sudden supply disruption, tighter harvesting controls, and buyer-side reputational risk if wild-collection is not demonstrably sustainable.Prioritize cultivated/managed-plantation supply where possible; require supplier evidence of harvest management plans, collection-area mapping, and third-party or buyer audits focused on sustainable harvest and legal sourcing.
Climate MediumKey producing zones are associated with arid and saline land conditions; drought and water-management constraints can reduce yields and increase variability in both cultivated and natural-stand supply.Diversify sourcing across multiple Uzbek regions and suppliers; use multi-year contracts with performance and quality KPIs to smooth year-to-year variability.
Regulatory Compliance MediumBotanical raw materials can face border delays or rejection if phytosanitary status, species identification, or documentation (weights, batch IDs, origin) is inconsistent across shipment documents.Implement pre-shipment document reconciliation and retain batch/lot traceability records that connect packed product to collection/plantation area and processing steps.
Logistics MediumBulk dried-root shipments can be sensitive to freight and transit-cost volatility and to multi-leg routing disruption, impacting delivered cost and lead times.Build lead-time buffers, pre-book transport during peak periods, and qualify alternative corridors/forwarders to reduce disruption exposure.
Labor And Human Rights MediumAlthough systemic forced labor in Uzbekistan’s cotton harvest was reported as eradicated in 2021 monitoring, civil-society and labor-rights sources continue to flag residual human-rights and monitoring-environment risks; buyers may extend enhanced due diligence expectations to other agricultural supply chains, including botanical collection.Adopt and verify supplier labor standards (no coercion, fair pay, grievance mechanism), enable independent worker feedback channels, and document auditing outcomes for buyer and regulatory due diligence.
Sustainability- Over-exploitation of natural licorice habitats and documented contraction of wild-growing areas in the Aral Sea / Amudarya delta context (Karakalpakstan and surrounding regions)
- Salinity, drought, and degraded-land dynamics in key producing zones; cultivation is discussed as both an economic activity and a land-rehabilitation approach
Labor & Social- Heightened buyer due diligence sensitivity because Uzbekistan has a well-documented history of state-imposed forced labor risk in cotton (with reforms and monitoring indicating systemic forced labor was eradicated in the 2021 cotton harvest, while broader labor-rights risks and monitoring constraints are still discussed by civil-society groups)
- Seasonal and remote-area collection work can increase vulnerability to poor working conditions without active supplier monitoring and grievance channels
FAQ
Where are the main licorice-growing or collection areas in Uzbekistan?Peer-reviewed literature describes natural licorice areas in the Amudarya river delta (including the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm) and also notes occurrences in other provinces such as Syrdarya and Surkhandarya and along riverbanks in the Fergana Valley. The Institute of Botany-linked botanical garden resource also notes licorice growing naturally in multiple parts of Uzbekistan, especially in tugai forests and along streams.
What is the biggest trade-stopper risk for Uzbek dried licorice root?The most critical risk is ecological and supply-chain: studies on Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea / Amudarya delta context report that over-exploitation has reduced natural licorice habitats. If buyers cannot demonstrate sustainable and legal sourcing (especially for wild-collected root), shipments can face commercial rejection, program delisting, or tightened sourcing requirements even before any formal government ban.
What HS code is commonly used for liquorice roots in trade documentation?A commonly used classification is HS 121110 for liquorice roots (as reflected in government trade nomenclature resources such as UK Trade Info). Importing-country tariff lines may add extra digits and may vary by national tariff schedules.
Why do buyers sometimes ask about labor due diligence when sourcing from Uzbekistan?Uzbekistan has a well-known history of forced labor risk in the cotton sector. The International Labour Organization (ILO) reported that systemic forced labor and systemic child labor were eradicated in the 2021 cotton harvest, and the Cotton Campaign lifted its boycott call in March 2022, while also noting that labor-rights risks can remain. Some buyers therefore apply heightened labor due diligence across Uzbek agricultural supply chains, not only cotton.