Russia is preparing draft laws that would change the rules for importing goods from countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Kommersant writes. They are to be reviewed by the government’s commission on legislative activities.
The initiative concerns the introduction of a system confirming the expected arrival of goods, which is предусмотрена in the plan to formalize and legalize the economy. Discussions have been underway since last autumn.
The draft laws will affect supplies across Russia’s borders with Belarus and Kazakhstan. Importers are to be required to notify authorities of upcoming shipments at least two days in advance. The relevant document will need to be generated in a dedicated system. It must include information about the importer and supplier, the foreign trade commodity codes (TN VED), as well as the quantity and value of the goods in the shipment.
In addition, the importer will have to deposit with the system operator an amount covering indirect taxes (VAT and excise duties) calculated based on these data. After the payments are collected, the remaining balance will be returned to the applicant’s account with the tax authorities.
After completing these procedures, the importer will receive a QR code that must be presented to customs officers after crossing the border for “selective control.” Customs will check whether the information received through the link corresponds to the shipping documents. If discrepancies are detected, the carrier will be ordered to leave the territory of Russia.
The publication notes that the system would effectively introduce internal tax and customs control at borders that was abolished when the EAEU was created. Moreover, the requirements would be even stricter than those applied to imports from outside the EAEU. Member states of the union may regard the initiative as the creation of a barrier within the EAEU.
