Exemption letters for some products are cancelled

Ministry of Industry and Trade has posted on its web-site (www.minpromtorg.gov.ru) a letter “On optimization of issuance of explanatory letters” addressed to the Federal Customs Service.

The letter is signed by Vladimir Salаmatov, deputy minister.

This document informs that since November 15, exemption (explanatory) letters will not be issued, and, consequently, customs has no right to require such letters, for the following products:

• spare parts intended for repair and maintenance of ready goods which have been earlier imported to the territory of the Customs Union, and which have undergone verification of compliance with the specified requirements (copies of mandatory certificate or declaration should be submitted to customs authorities);

• assembly parts for goods or raw materials for products which are manufactured in the territory of one of the states belonging to the Customs Union where a customs declaration is made for them.

Exemption (explanation) letters are issued for the products which do not require mandatory certification or declaration. As long as the function of issuing the letters was transferred to the Ministry of Industry and Trade within the last year this problem has become a real “stumbling block” for import to the territory of Russia, since the procedure of registration of a document has extended over periods of time impermissible for business.

As a result business community still managed to obtain some easing of procedure from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as related to assembly pats, raw materials and spare parts. State policy department in the sphere of technical regulation and metrology ceases to issue exemption letters for the specified goods since November 15 of this year.