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International convention and customs procedures of Russia

International Conventions
Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Party to the Kyoto Protocol
Party to the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Party to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal
Party to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer
Party to the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls For Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies
International Economic Cooperation
Russia is a member of the following international economic organisations: Eurasian Economic Union, IMF, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), OECD  (accession state), Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC), ICC, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (dialogue partner), G-8, G-20, WTO, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), among others. Russia's membership in international organizations is outlined here.
Non Tariff Barriers
The certification of products, a complicated procedure, is a barrier to trade.
The agri-food sector is particularly protected with quotas on certain products and very strict phytosanitary standards.
Exporters often say the heavy and unpredictable Russian Customs procedures are a big obstacle.
However, since 2014, Russia has attempted to increase the ease of international trade by implementing an electronic system for submitting export and import documents and by decreasing the number of physical inspections the imports receive.
Customs Duties and Taxes on Imports
Since its official entry to the WTO on 22 August 2012, Russia has committed to implement all the provisions of the WTO, including an average tariff of 6.1% for goods. For more information, see Russia's WTO tariff profile.
Customs Classification
Russia implements the Harmonised Customs System.
Import Procedures
Importers are required to complete a Russian customs freight declaration for every item imported. A declaration must be supported by the following documents (when applicable): contracts, commercial documents such as commercial invoices and packing lists, transport documents, import licenses, technical regulation of technical safety certificates, certificates of origin, sanitary certificates, import permission and licenses (e.g. for products containing encryption technology), and documents confirming legitimacy of declarants/brokers/importers. All customs import declarations are submitted electronically. The website of Russia’s Federal Customs Service contains the link to the portal for electronic declarations.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) maintains a unified list of goods to which import and export limitations and prohibitions apply, in order to monitor and control movement of goods classified as sensitive by the member states or by the international community. In Russia, import licenses are issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in accordance with the unified licencing rules of the EAEU.

Customs payments generally include: import/export customs duties, taxes, and customs processing fees. Some goods may also require payment of utilisation fees (e.g. wheeled vehicles), or the new ecological fee, introduced on 1 January 2015.

In addition, currency control regulations require issuance of a transaction passport for both exports and imports to ensure that hard currency earnings are repatriated to Russia. The regulations also ensure that transfers of hard currency payments for imports are for goods actually received and properly valued.
Importing Samples
Commercial samples are exempt of customs duties and import TVA for a period up to two years if they are used only for promotional proposes. Biological samples and samples of medicines must be accompanied by specific certificates.
 

To go further, check out our service Import controls and Export controls.

 
For Further Information
Portal for Customs (in Russian)
Russia Trade Portal

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Latest Update: March 2024

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