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Russian TIR set to end on Sunday – updated
[ November 28, 2013 // Chris ]Finnish-Russian logistics specialist Nurminen is reminding shippers that the Russian TIR agreement is formally due to expire on Sunday 1 December. From that date goods may only be placed under the TIR transit procedure by taking a separate additional insurance. However, Russian customs has already progressively been withdrawing the TIR agreement from a number of local customs offices following a dispute with the country’s main TIR carnet issuing organisation over unpaid bills.
Nurminen points out also that Russian customs started a three-month experiment on 1 November whereby “large and reliable Russian transport companies can conduct transit without additional securities, if the customs official at the destination is a Russian customs official.” In these circumstances, the customs officials will not require collateral for customs payments or taxes in transit shipments, if the declaring party has the status of customs transporter granted by the Customs Service of Russia.
If the situation does not change and the Russian customs’ new insurance policy takes effect on 1 December, Nurminen Logistics says it is prepared to find the best solutions t for its clients, including producing T1 declarations instead of the TIR declaration, at all its sites. Rail is another option, instead of road transport.
However, another company contacted by FBJ on 29 November suggested that the move to cancel the whole TIR system would be postponed yet again, to 1 June. While alternative systems could be put in place for Russia itself, there would be serious issues in handling transit across Russia to other countries, he suggested.