Will Belarusians be restricted when bringing goods to Russia since July 1?
Under the Customs Code, it is allowed to bring not more than 3 liters of alcohol, 2 blocks of cigarettes, and your vehicle's tank should not have more than 10 liters of petrol.
If Belarus refuses to take part in the Customs Union with Russia and Kazakhstan, new customs regulationas theoertically are to cover Belarusian citizens as well since July 1, 2010.
In this case, when the bagage limitations are exceeded, Belarusians will have to pay 30 percent of goods' customs cost. They will also have to pay 10 euros for every extra liter of alcohol.
But, this is not the fact, as the issue of Belarus' participation in the Customs Union can be resolved in the next serveral days.
Russia's first vice premier Igor Shuvalov on June 28 described as crucial the meeting of president of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia on July 5 in the framework of the Interstate Council of Eurasian Economic Community in Kazakhstan.
Igor Shuvalov: "The decision will be about the second stage of the Customs Union: whether it will be a triple format as we agreed before or it will be the format of Russia and Kazakhstan".
On June 28, Alyaksandr Lukashenka approved a draft agreement on some tax exempts in the Customs Union.
Even if Belarus ratifies the Customs Code, Belarusians will be able to import European cars and clear them at the previous rates before the end of the transition period, Valery Reshetnikov, chairman of the Russian Federation's Department of Fedral Customs Tariffs, told Rossiyskaya Gazeta. The transition period can last up to July 1, 2011 or even up to 2013.
Besides, in order to sell a car, cleared according to Belarusian customs tariffs, in Russia, you will have to pay the difference between our and Russian tariffs.
Russia's Federal Customs Service could not confirm that new customs regulations would apply to Belarus citizens from July 1. This Euroradio correspondent was referred to ask questions about new customs regulations through a telephone 'hot line' on June 30. Belarus' Customs Committee also declined to comment on the situation.
An officer at the customs post in Smolensk, near Belarus border, noted the situation was not clear. He said: "It is very obscure, I really don't know what to tell you. We ourselves are looking forward to what will happen on July 1. You can see yourself what is going on with the crude oil or anything else. At the moment, there is no customs controls at the border between Belarus and Russia".
The gas dispute between Russia and Belarus put a huge question mark after the question whether Belarus ratifies the Customs Code, with the conditions of Russian oil exports via Belarus yet to be settled. Minsk insists on abolishing export duties on crude oil. Moscow's stance is to solve this issue bilaterally, outside of the Customs Union's framework.
Photo: belarus.by
