RF maintains about 100 export duties in the framework of CIS free trade zone

The agreement published at the site of Ukrainian government stipulates, that the countries which joined CIS free trade zone can take special protective measures and use antidumping and compensation duties for imports from their partners. “This agreement doesn’t stint the party (customs union) in taking special protective measures”, is said in the document. The same norm is contained in the chapter devoted to antidumping duties. At the same time, it is noted, these measures must be taken in accordance with profile agreements of the World Trade Organization. Introduction of quotas is not allowed if the country hasn’t been one of five main suppliers of imported goods for the last three years. Besides, two following conditions must be fulfilled at the same time. The first condition stipulates, import from the country must reduce or grow slower compared to import from other countries. The second – prices of imported goods must be equal or higher than prices of analogous or competing goods of national producer at domestic market of importing state. In the middle of October Council of the Heads of CIS countries approved the agreement about creation of free trade zone. The countries will abolish import and export duties for a number of goods and existing treaty exemptions will be abolished later. The agreement was signed by all CIS countries except for Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan which would study possible joining by the end of this year. Russia and Kazakhstan maintained export duties for energy resources, metals and a wide range of goods. The Ukraine – for metals and cattle exported to RF. Byelorussia – for potassium fertilizers. Tajikistan - for electricity, meat, vegetables and fruit. At the same time the countries arranged to nullify the major part of import duties in trading with each other. Russia, Byelorussia, Kazakhstan and Moldavia maintain duties for sugar imported from Ukraine. Ukraine maintains the same duties for these four counties. The agreement published at the site of Ukrainian government stipulates, that as RF signed the CIS free trade zone agreement, it maintains the largest amount of export duties for its partners in accordance with this document. RF maintained about 100 export duties. Particularly, oil and oil products, rate for which is counted in accordance with a special formula, natural gas – 30%, LNG – 40 euros per ton. Export duties for petrochemical products, untreated wood, non-ferrous metals and cement remain as well. Besides, duties for spirit, crustaceans, tuna, beans, sunflower and mustard seeds remain. Kazakhstan maintained more than 40 positions as treaty exemptions, including oil (special formula), gas – 30%, wool – 10%, aluminium – 15%, but at least 100 euros per ton. Ukraine maintained about 30 export duties for all participants of the agreement. These are mainly products of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy. Besides, duties for export of cattle and fells to RF and Kazakhstan remain separately. Tajikistan has 16 positions, including meat, vegetables, fruit, ginned cotton, electricity, lather and aluminium. Byelorussia maintained 8 export duties, including potassium fertilizers – 75 euros per ton and untreated wood – 100 euros per 1 thousand cubic metres. Armenia and Moldavia are the only countries to abolish their duties for export to the treaty states. Source: http://rosinvest.com/novosti/874849 Translated by Alexandra Utyasheva