Mandatory import clearance of Russian seafood meant for export may be cancelled

Russia's First PM Victor Zubkov has commissioned the nation's ministries to work out amendments to the customs legislation aimed at cancelling excessive import duties for seafood harvested in the Russian EEZ, delivered to the nation's territory (mandatory procedure) and meant for further export, reports http://www.megafishnet.com/ (https://www.fishnet.ru/) with reference to RIA Novosti.

More specifically, according to the current legislation, seafood harvested in the Russian EEZ and imported to the nation's territory should first be cleared as import and then as export (if it is meant for export) with the product remaining immovable. Russia's fisheries industry head Andrey Krainy thinks if seafood is meant for export it should be cleared only for export.

The respective amendments to the customs legislation should be introduced soon taking into account that the Customs Code of the Customs Union will come to force as of 1 July 2010.

Background

In 2009 the customs duties for seafood imports to the customs territory of the Russian Federation amounted to 122.04 million RUR, the customs duties for seafood export amounted to 300 million RUR, the customs revenues totaled 2.6 billion RUR.

The rules of mandatory delivery of seafood harvested in the Russian EEZ for customs clearance on the Russian territory have been in force from 1 January 2009.