RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE WT/ACC/RUS/10
23April 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-1528)
Original: English
ACCESSION OFTHE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Import Licensing Questionnaire
ThePermanent Mission oftheRussian Federation hassupplied thefollowing response to
Annex IIIofWT/ACC/1 withtherequest thatitbecirculated toMembers oftheWorking Party.
_______________
I. OUTLINE OFTHE SYSTEM
1. TheRussian Federation hasonlyoneimport licensing system. Itspurpose istoensure adequate
governmental control overtheimportation intothecustoms territory oftheRussian Federation
ofgoods which mayrepresent athreat toitsnational security orjeopardize thelifeandhealth
ofthecountry 'spopulation, itsfauna andflora, ortheenvironment.
TheoperationoftheimportlicensingsystemoftheRussianFederationisbasedontheprovisions
ofArticles VIII, X,XXandXXIofGATT 1994 andoftheWTO Agreement onImport
Licensing Procedures, aswellasobligations assumed byRussia under several multilateral
international agreements (e.g., theWashington Treaty etc.), andisfullyconsistent withthe
basic principles ofGATT (non-discrimination, transparency, national treatment).
II. PURPOSES AND COVERAGE OFLICENSING
1. Thelistofappropriately grouped products which arecovered bytheRussian import licensing
system follows below:
LIST
ofGoods Imported byLicences
Short Name ofItem Code ofGoods Specification in
Foreign Economic ActivityAgencies making approval
Chemical products forplant
protection3808 (only forplant
protection)Ministry ofAgriculture and
Foodstuff
Industrial Waste 2618-2620, 3915 Ministry ofNature
Medicinals Ministry ofHealthCare and
Medical IndustriesWT/ACC/RUS/10
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Short Name ofItem Code ofGoods Specification in
Foreign Economic ActivityAgencies making approval
Nuclear materials,
technologies, equipment and
facilities, special non-nuclear
materials, radioactive source
material, including radioactive
wastePursuant tothelistapproved
bytheDecree ofPresident RF
ofFebruary, 14,1996 N202Ministry ofAtomic Power
Encryption devices (including
cipher equipment, parts and
cipher software), normative
andtechnical documentation
onencryption devices (design
andmaintenance)8471 (only cipher equipment),
847330000 (only forcipher
equipment), 854380900 (only
forcipher equipment);
854390900 (only forcipher
equipment)Federal Agency of
Government Communication
Precious metals, alloys, their
items; metals cladbyprecious
metals andtheirby-products;
ores; concentrates; scrap and
waste2616; 2843; 300640000 (only
from precious metals); 7106-
7112; 711311000; 711319000;
711411000; 711419000;
711510100; 711590100;
711590900; 7118 (only from
precious metals); 8544 (only
withprecious metal
conductors); 900319100;
902129100; 911110000 (only
from precious metals); 911310
(only from precious metals);
960810300; 960839100State Committee ofRFon
Precious Stones andPrecious
Metals
Precious natural stones and
theirby-products; waste,
powders andrecuperated
precious natural stones; pearl
andpearl by-products, amber
anditsby-products253090000 (only jet);7101;
7102; 7103 (only precious
stones); 7105 (only from
natural precious stones); 7116
(only from pearl andnatural
precious stones); 820551000
(only glass cutters fitted with
natural diamond crystals);
820712100, 820720100,
820750100, 820760100,
820790100 (only tools with
working components
containing crystals and
ovalized, crushed diamonds);
852290300 (only from natural
precious stones anddiamonds);
960200000 (only processed jet
anditsitems)State Committee ofRFon
Precious Stones andPrecious
MetalsWT/ACC/RUS/10
Page3
Short Name ofItem Code ofGoods Specification in
Foreign Economic ActivityAgencies making approval
Narcotics andpsychotropics,
poisonsThelististobedefined bythe
Government ofRFin
accordance withtheUniform
Convention onNarcotics of
1961, theConvention on
Psychotropics of1971 andthe
UNConvention onControl of
Illegal Trade inNarcotics and
Psychotropic Substances of
1988Standing Committee on
Control overNarcotics under
Ministry ofHealthCare and
Medical Industries
Powder, explosive, detonation
devices andpyrotechnics360100000 (except forhunting
powder); 360200000, 360300;
3604State Committee ofRFon
Defense Industries
2. Theimport licensing applies totheabove goods regardless ofwhich country theyoriginate
in.
3. TheRussian import licensing system isnotintended torestrict thequantity orvalue ofimports,
butisdesigned tofulfil thepurposes described inSection Iofthisresponse.
Noalternative methods ofaccomplishing thesepurposes haveasyetbeenconsidered inRussia.
4. Thegovernmentsystemforregulatingimports,includingbylicensingforthepurposesdescribed
inSection Iofthisresponse, isstatutorily required andmaintained inaccordance withArticle
19oftheFederal Law"OntheState Regulation ofForeign Trade Activities (No.157-FZ,
dated October 13,1995). Under thisArticle, thelistofproducts tobesubjected tosuch
regulation must alsobeapproved byspecial federal laws.
ButArticles 12and15oftheabove-referenced Federal Lawstipulate thatprocedures forthe
importationofpreciousstones,preciousmetals,andnuclearmaterialsareestablishedbyRussian
presidential decrees, while procedures fortheimportation ofgoods affecting Russia 'snational
security interests andforthefulfilment ofitsinternational agreements arelaiddown bythe
Government oftheRussian Federation.
Since thelistofproducts shown inparagraph 1ofSection IIofthisresponse hasbeenapproved
bydecisions oftheRussian President andGovernment, itispossible forthem toabolish or
review thislistaccordingly.
III. PROCEDURES
2.
(a),(b)Provided thatanapplicant submits allrequired documents, thesubsequent licence issue
period maynotexceed 21days. Inpractice, thisperiod comes, asarule,to12-14 days
andmay,upontheapplicant'ssubstantiatedrequest,beshortenedto3-5days,butcannot
beanyshorter, because thistime-limit isrequired tocheck andverify theinformation
anddatapresented bytheapplicant.WT/ACC/RUS/10
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(c) There arenolimitations astotheperiod oftheyearduring which licences maybe
issued.
(d) Import licences forallgoods listed inparagraph 1ofSection IIofthisresponse are
granted byasingle administrative organ -theMinistry ofForeign Economic Relations
(MFER) ofRussia. Butanyone seeking alicence mustfirstobtain arelevant consent
from theministry (agency) indicated ingraph 3oftheabove-referenced list.An
importer, thus,needs, inpractice, toapproach consecutively twoadministrative organs.
3. Anapplication foralicence mayberefused iftheimportation oftheproduct sought tobe
licensedintothecustomsterritoryoftheRussianFederationisinviolationofitsnationalsecurity
interests oritsinternational obligations, orrepresents athreat tothelifeandhealth ofRussia 's
population, wildlife, plants, ortheenvironment.
Thereasons foranyrefusal aregiven totheapplicant inwriting within nomore than21days
afterthedateonwhich therespective licence application wasfiled, andmaybeappealed against
incourt.
IV. ELIGIBILITY FOR IMPORTS TOAPPLY FOR LICENCES
1. Allindividuals andlegalentities resident intheRussian Federation areeligible toapply for
licences.
VI. DOCUMENTATIONANDOTHERREQUIREMENTSFORAPPLICATIONFORLICENCES
1. Animporter seeking animport licence needs tosubmit aspecial application (seetheattached
sample form, inwhich theapplicant isrequired tocomplete graphs 1-7,9-22, and24))tothe
authorized agent ofMFER intheregion where theapplicant hashislegaladdress. Inaddition,
theapplicant isrequired tosupply theoriginal andacopyoftheletterofconsent fortheissuance
ofthelicence from thecorresponding ministry (agency), aswellastheoriginal andacopy
oftherespective foreign trade contract.
2. Thedocuments required tobepresented tocustoms authorities fortheactual importation of
products uponthereceipt ofarespective licence include, inaddition tothelicence itself, those
documents which areordinarily required during customs inspection andclearance procedures,
aswellastheso-called transaction passport (which is,inaccordance withrequirements made
byRussianagenciesforcurrencycontrol,astandard-formdocumentcompletedbytheapplicant's
bankforeachtypeofproduct imported intoRussia).
3. Alicence isissued foraruble feeinanamount equal toUSD 150.4.
4. There arenodeposit oradvance payment requirements associated withtheissue oflicences.
Butalicence isonlyactually issued totheapplicant afterhepresents acopyofthepayment
order confirming payment ofthelicensing feetotheMFER account.WT/ACC/RUS/10
Page5
VII. CONDITIONS OFLICENSING
1. Theperiod ofvalidity ofalicence isthatwhich isstated intheapplication forthelicence,
butmaynotexceed 12months. Thevalidity ofalicence maynotbeextended, butanewlicence
may, incaseofneed, beissued inaccordance withtheprocedures described above.
2. There isnopenalty under theRussian import licensing system forthenon-utilization ofalicence
oraportion ofalicence.
3. Alicence holder isprohibited fromtransferring hislicence toanyother participants inforeign
economic activities. Alicence isonlyvalid fortheperson towhom ithasbeenissued (and
whoisidentified ingraph 1ofthelicence form).
4. There arenoconditions, except forthose described above, attached totheissue ofalicence.
VIII. OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Asexplained inparagraph 2ofSection VIofthisresponse, apart from obtaining animport
licence andpriortoimportation, animporter hastoexecute thedocuments required bycustoms
authorities, aswellastoobtain atransaction passport from hisbank.
2. Foreign exchange forgoods tobeimported isautomatically provided bytheimporter 'sbank.WT/ACC/RUS/10
Page6
SAMPLE LICENCE FORM
1. Applicant organization, anditsaddress
_______________
Registration number anddate:
_____________________8. Licence No.____________
general/one-time licence
7. APPLICATION No.___________,
dated _____________________,
forgeneral/one-time licence
toexport/import __________.
2. Manufacturer/consumer oftheproduct:
___________________
3. Owner oftheproduct: ______9. Buyer/seller andhisaddress: _____________________________________.
10. Country ofthebuyer/seller: _________
4. Country ofdestination:
_______________________
5. Country oforigin: ____11.Validity period
oflicenceasapplied for asstated inthelicence
6. Customs authority: ____ 12. Nature ofthetransaction: __________
13. Currency ofpayment: __
14.Description andfull
characteristics ofthe
product15.Product 'scode inthe
Goods Specification inForeign
Economic Activity16.Quantity unit 17.Quantity 18.Value 19.Value units
(ths.)
20. Grounds forapplying forthelicence:
___________________22. Agreed by:
fullname: ________________
title: ____________________
signature andsealimpression
date
21. Fullname ofthehead oftheapplying
organization:
Title: _____________________
signature andsealimpression
date23. Ministry (agency) issuing thelicence:
fullname: ________________
title: ____________________
signature
sealimpression date
24. Special terms andconditions:
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