Unified Customs Union duties on imported automobiles in Belarus as from 1 July

The official stressed that Belarus' Customs was not taking any actions or passing any documents to change the time when the documents adopted earlier would be enforced.

Sergei Borisyuk reminded that at present a protocol on temporary exemptions from the single customs territory regime of the Customs Union is in effect. The document has been signed by representatives of the three Customs Union countries. The document provides for enforcing unified customs duties and taxes on transport vehicles to be imported by individuals as from 1 July 2011. The customs duties and taxes are specified by the agreement on the procedure for imported commodities and vehicles by natural persons, said the representative of the State Customs Committee of Belarus.

In 2010 the Customs Union countries signed an agreement to stipulate the transportation of personal-use goods by natural persons across the Customs Union border. Among other things the document stipulates the size of customs duties on imported vehicles. The agreement has been used in the Customs Union on a temporary basis. At the same time the sides signed a protocol on temporary exemptions. The protocol extended the use of national laws for the import of vehicles to the territory of Belarus till 1 July 2011. The temporary exemptions protocol will no longer be used as from 1 July. It means that unified Customs Union customs duties and taxes on car imports will be used. These duties and taxes are based on Russia's existing customs duties and taxes. Experts say that Russia's existing customs duties and taxes exceed those Belarus uses at present by at least four times.