On the 3^rd of April, the Eurasian Economic Commission approved the list of critical imports in order to minimize the negative economic consequences of spreading COVID-19 coronavirus infection and prevent a shortage of socially important goods in the EAEU countries. They are granted tariff preferences in the form of exemption from import customs duties when importing to the Eurasian Economic Union States from April 1 to June 30 of this year inclusive.

The list includes certain agricultural and food products (potato, onion, garlic, cabbage, carrot, pepper, rye, long-grain rice, buckwheat, juices and ready-made baby food), certain finished pharmaceutical products and medical goods (endoscopes, contactless thermometers, disposable pipettes and mobile disinfection units).

Moreover, the list of goods used for manufacturing medicines as well as medical products (it includes thermal bags, films for sealing bottles and medical freezers), the import of which is duty-free since March 16 to September 30 this year subject to confirmation of their intended purpose.

The EEC Council has decided to temporarily simplify the use of Certificates of Origin Form A issued by developing and the least developed countries. This will enable using paper or electronic copies of certificates for six months and not submitting their originals during customs declaring procedures.

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is an international organization of regional economic integration with international legal personality and established by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union signed by the Heads of States of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan in Astana on May 29, 2014. The EAEU provides for free movement of goods, services, capital and labour, conducting coordinated, agreed or common policy in the economic sectors stipulated in the Treaty and international treaties within the Union. The Eurasian Economic Commission is a permanent regulatory body of the Union.

Source: eurasiancommission.org – 3^rd April 2020

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