From April 1, 2024, the decision of the Eurasian Economic Commission (which includes Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan) to increase the threshold for duty-free import of goods from €200 to €1000 will cease to apply. The preparation of documents to extend the temporary measure has not begun, Vedomosti reports, citing its own sources, which means that on April 1 the threshold of €200 will automatically return. This threatens to reduce imports by 18–20% and increase the prices of imported goods by 15–20%.
The threshold for duty-free import of goods of €1000 existed until 2019 – we are talking about the norm that applies to the import of goods by individuals for personal use. This value has decreased several times and since January 2020 has been fixed at €200. The €1,000 threshold had to be temporarily reintroduced in April 2022 to prevent shortages or sharp increases in consumer prices due to sanctions, and the temporary measure has been extended several times. The logistical difficulties feared for 2022 are now believed to have been overcome.
A request to maintain the current threshold of €1000 was sent to the EEC by the Eurasian Consumer Union, but received a response that no country belonging to the EAEU had made such a proposal. The Duma Committee on Competition Policy sent a letter with a similar initiative to the Ministry of Economic Development, but earlier the Ministry of Finance told representatives of Yandex Market, Ozon and Cdek.Shopping that it does not support the extension of the increased duty-free import threshold – trading platforms are interested in maintaining it in the first place. Up to 98% of international mail (this includes Ozon and AliExpress) are parcels up to €200, one source close to the EEC Council told Vedomosti, which means that this measure should not affect the majority of buyers.
The size of the duty in question is 15%, and it is calculated from the excess price of the goods. So, if it costs €250, then 15% will have to be paid from €50 – in the end the product will cost €257.5. As a result, we should expect an increase in prices for equipment on Russian Internet sites by 10–15%. First of all, the rise in price will affect products that are not officially supplied to Russia:
PC peripherals from Razer, Logitech and other brands; Apple devices – iPhone, iPad, MacBook, AirPods; Samsung and Dyson appliances; TVs, with the exception of Russian and Chinese brands; household appliances more expensive than 20 thousand rubles. from LG, Bosch, Tefal, Braun, Sony, etc.
Today, the Russian market has a wide range of goods from domestic and Chinese brands – for example, all phones are Chinese except for the American iPhone and Korean Samsung Galaxy. Raising the duty-free threshold, in addition to rising prices, threatens other consequences, according to experts interviewed by Hi-Tech Mail.ru. We can expect an increase in the presence of counterfeit products, and consumers who are not ready to overpay 15–20 thousand rubles. for top-end phones, they will start looking at cheaper alternatives. Citylink, however, noted that under the new conditions, prices for electronics and household appliances in the store will not change.
There is also a version that on April 1, a full return to the duty-free threshold of €200 will not happen: it is possible to reduce it only to €500 – or drop to €200, but reduce the duty from 15% to 5%.
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