Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Economy Proposes Full Ban on Energy Drinks From 2027

The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan has proposed a complete ban on the circulation of tonic drinks in the country from January 1, 2027. The draft law was published on November 12 and put to public discussion, which will run until November 27.

The document provides for a ban on the import, production, storage for sale, wholesale and retail trade, as well as the consumption of energy drinks. Unlike the temporary import restrictions proposed earlier, the new draft introduces a permanent ban.

The restrictions will cover non-alcoholic and low-alcohol tonic drinks, including energy drinks. In defining such products, the drafters specified commodity heading 2202 of the EAEU Foreign Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature, a caffeine content of more than 150 mg/l, the presence of other tonic substances and a dry matter mass fraction of 10% or more. The ban will not affect tea, coffee and drinks based on them, nor ordinary soda, lemonades, cola, mineral water and juices, if they do not meet the established criteria for tonic drinks.

In 2025 Kyrgyzstan imported 274.4 million liters of drinks in this commodity group worth 11.4 billion som. For January-August 2026, imports amounted to 211.05 million liters worth 10 billion som. The ministry acknowledges that it is difficult to determine the exact volume of energy drink imports from customs statistics: there is no separate commodity code for them.

The need for the ban is explained by the availability of energy drinks to minors and the health risks of regular consumption. According to a study, more than 22% of schoolchildren surveyed consume energy drinks, and among those who drink them, almost 40% do so at least three times a week. According to the World Health Organization, roughly 41% of adult residents of Kyrgyzstan aged 30 to 79 have elevated blood pressure.

On November 5, President Sadyr Japarov instructed the cabinet of ministers to consider within a month the possibility of banning the production and import of energy drinks, allocating six months for the adoption of regulatory measures. He estimated possible budget losses from the ban at about 1.5 billion som in tax revenue. On November 10, the Ministry of Economy put to public discussion a draft resolution on a temporary six-month ban on energy drink imports.

The draft law provides for the confiscation of income from the illegal circulation of tonic drinks, with these funds to be transferred to the republican budget. The amounts of the fines have not yet been determined. If adopted, the law will enter into force 15 days after official publication, and the ban itself is proposed to be introduced from January 1, 2027.