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Capital: Moscow
Population: 143,000,000
Currency: Ruble
Official Language(s): Russian |
I. CHEMICAL MAXIMUM
RESIDUE LEVELS (MRLS)
II. CHEMICALS AND ADDITIVE INFORMATION
A. Chemical residue standards:
Chemical residue standards are regulated separately for each
commodity, under the jurisdiction of the Russian State Committee
of Sanitary and Epidemiological Oversight.
B. Monitoring chemical residues:
Sanitary and Epidemiological Stations, under the jurisdiction
of the State Committee of Sanitary and Epidemiological
Oversight, monitor chemical residues.
C. Restrictions on use of waxes:
Although no guidelines presently exist, Russian authorities
reserve the right to look at each shipment on a case by case
basis.
III. ORGANIC FRUIT REGULATIONS
No information.
IV. TARIFFS
Pear and cherry imports are subjected to a 5% duty. Apples are assessed a
duty of 0.2 Euro/kg August 1 through December 31 and a duty of 0.1
Euro/kg January 1 through July 31. Customs clearance procedure tax
is 0.1% (paid in rubles) of the invoice value and 0.05% (paid in
U.S. dollars) of the invoice value. The importer must pay a 20%
VAT on "custom value" (CIF invoice plus custom duty and
custom clearance procedure tax).
V. NON-TARIFF BARRIERS
A. Labeling requirements:
Official labeling requirements as established for each
specific commodity are currently unavailable. U.S. exporters are
urged to work with their Russian customers to determine exact
labeling regulations. However, it is likely that to import
any food product into the Russian Federation, the U.S. exporter
must provide Russian language labeling detailing the following
on the carton:
1. Name of the product
2. Type, grade or category of the product.
3. Name, country, address of producer, packer, exporter
and
importer of the product.
4. Weight or volume of the product.
5. Date of packing or processing.
B. Licenses and quotas:
C. Currency Issues:
D. Pest and plant disease restrictions:
The following are listed by the Russian State Quarantine
Service to be of quarantine concern on apples, pears and
cherries: apple maggot, Mediterranean fruit fly, fall webworm,
oriental fruit moth, pacific flathead borer, fire blight and
cherry rasp leaf virus.
A phytosanitary certificate and import permit is required.
Apples must be free of Grapholita molesta (Oriental fruit
moth and Rhagoletis pomonella (apple maggot). Pears must
be free of Oriental fruit moth.
Fumigation is required at Southern points of entry for
imports between April 1 through September 30.
E. Other trade restrictions:
Imported fruit may be subject to a reference price. If the
delivered price is lower than the reference price, the State
Customs Service may review supporting documents to investigate
the discrepancy.
The opportunity to export apples and pears to Russia has
improved with recent USDA changes to the U.S. Export Apple and
Pear Act. Effective September 26, 1996, the shipment of Third
Grade winter pears and U.S. No. 1 Hail grade apples to the
Pacific ports of Russia is permitted. Key points follow:
1. Apples:
a. Minimum grade: U.S. No. 1 Hail or U.S. Utility Grades
(Washington state regulations do not permit the use of the U.S.
Utility Grade);
b. Grade labeling is required.
2. Winter pears:
a. Minimum grade: requirements are equivalent to Washington
Third Grade;
b. Grade labeling requirements only are exempted under
the Act. (Washington state regulations require grade labeling.
Oregon and Idaho shippers have the option of labeling with a
state grade equivalent to Washington Third Grade or shipping
cartons with no grade marking, dependent upon state
regulations.)
3. Summer and fall pears:
a. Minimum grade: requirements are equivalent to Washington C
Grade;
b. Grade labeling requirements only are exempted under
the Act (Washington state regulations require grade labeling.
Oregon and Idaho shippers have the option of labeling with a
state grade equivalent to Washington C Grade or shipping cartons
with no grade marking, dependent upon state regulations.)
VI. SUBSIDIES
In 2003, 350 of Russia's most efficient orchards
were provided approximately $1,000/hectare for new plantings and
restoration of old orchards and $133 per hectare for cultivation
expenses.
VII. MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES FOR PACIFIC
NORTHWEST TREE FRUIT INDUSTRY
Pear Bureau Northwest:
Western Russia: Ksenia Evdokimova
Crisp Consulting
Voice: 011-7-921-637-4199
E-mail: Ksenia@crispconsulting.ru
Washington Apple Commission:
Western Russia: Irina Koziy
RK Marketing
Moscow, RUSSIA
Voice/Fax: 011-7-495-729-3080
E-mail: office@bestapples.ru
Pear Bureau Northwest/Washington Apple Commission:
Russian Far East: Katerina Akulenko
New Marketing LLC
Vladivostok, RUSSIA
Voice: 011-7-902-556-55-36
Fax: 011-7-4232-491231
E-mail:
katerina@newmark.ru
VIII. OTHER RESOURCE LINKS:
Governmental:
Private:
IX. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
Under the terms of Russia's WTO
accession commitment with the U.S., the tariff on apples will be
reduced by 70-85% over five years. The tariff on pears will
be reduced to 5% over four years and the tariff on cherries will
be reduced to 8% in two years. These tariff rate reductions
are dependent on Russia entering the WTO and the U.S. granting Russia
permanent normal trade relations. It is not known when these
two requirements might come to pass.
Special thanks to
FAS Field Office - Russia
105 South 18th Street, Suite 105
Yakima, Washington 98901, USA
Voice: (509) 453-3193, Fax: (509) 457-7615
E-mail
general@nwhort.org
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