RESTRICTEDWORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
7 June 2002
(02-3162)
Working Party on the Accession
of the Russian FederationOriginal:  English
ACCESSION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Import Licensing
Revision
The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation has supplied the following revision to
document WT/ACC/RUS/10 on Import Licen sing with the request that it be circulated to members of
the Working Party.
_______________
I. OUTLINE OF THE SYSTEM
1. The Russian Federation has a single  import licensing system, which is based in majority of
cases on a two-pronged process (prior approval-issuance of import licence). Its purpose is to
ensure adequate government regulation over the importation into the customs territory of the
Russian Federation of goods which may represent a threat to its national security or
jeopardise the life and health of the country's population, its fauna and flora, or the
environment.
The legislative base for import licensing system is the Federal Law No. 157 "On the State
Regulation of Foreign Trade Activities" of 13 October  1995.
The operation of the import licensing system of the Russian Federation is based on the
provisions of Articles  VIII, X, XI, XII, XX and XXI of GATT 1994, and the Agreement on
Import Licensing Procedures, as well as ob ligations assumed by Russia under several
multilateral international agreements (e.g. Washington Treaty, Basel Convention etc.) and is
thus [fully] consistent with the basic prin ciples of GATT (non-discrimination, national
treatment and transparency).
The scrutinised WTO-consistent provisions on licensing of exports and imports in the Russian
Federation has been included in the Draft Law “On Additions and Amendments to the Federal
Law “On State Regulation of Foreign Trade Activity”.
II. PURPOSES AND COVERAGE OF LICENSING
1. The list of appropriately grouped products which are covered by the Russian import licensing
system follows below:WT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 2А.  List of Imported Goods Subject to Non-Automatic Licensing
Short Name of the Item HS Code Pertinent legislative actAgencies making prior approval
(authorization)/ Agencies issuing import
licenceGATT/WTO Reference
12 3 4 5
Weapons, ammunition, military
equipment, kits to produce suchequipment9301-9307, 8710 Government Resolution of
4 September 1995, № 879Ministry of  Defence
*Art. XXI (b) (ii)
Explosive substances 2904 20 100 0
360100 000 0,3602 00 000 0,3603 00,
3604Government Resolution of
12 July 2000 № 512Russian Munitions Agency/ Ministry of
Economic Development and Trade(MEDT)Art. XXI (b) (ii)
Nuclear materials, equipment
and installations to produce suchmaterials2844, 8401 etc.
in accordance with theinternationally agreed list ofTsanger  committee and Londonclub of nuclear suppliersPresidential Decree of
14 February 1996 № 202;
Government Resolution of15 December 2000,  № 973.Ministry of Atomic Power/ MEDT Art. XXI (b) (i)
Medical products and the
pharmaceutical substances used
in the medical purposes2904 - 2909,
2912 – 2942 00 000 0,
3001-3004,
3006 30 000 0,3006 60Government Resolution of
25 December 1998, № 1539Ministry of Health/ MEDT Art. XX (b)
Drugs, substances with
psychotropic effects; poisons;materials to produce suchsubstancesInternationally agreed list of UN
Uniform Convention of 1961(as amended by Vienna Protocol1963), theConvention on Psychotropic of
1971 and UN Convention on
Control and Illegal Trade inNarcotics and PsychotropicSubstancesGovernment Resolutions of
16 March 1996, № 278 and
3 August 1996, № 930Ministry of Health/ MEDT Art. XX (b)
Chemical products for plant
protection3808 (only for plant protection) Government Resolution  of
6 November 1992, № 854Ministry of Agriculture/ MEDT Art. XX (b)
Hazardous wastes Internationally agreed list of
Basel ConventionGovernment Resolution of
1 July 1996, № 766Ministry of Natural Resources/ MEDT Art. XX (b)
Ozone destroying substances
and  productsInternationally  agreed list of
Montreal ProtocolGovernment Resolution of
8 May 1996, № 563Ministry of Natural Resources/ MEDT Art. XX (b)WT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 3Short Name of the Item HS Code Pertinent legislative actAgencies making prior approval
(authorization)/ Agencies issuing import
licenceGATT/WTO Reference
12 3 4 5
 Encryption devices (including
cipher  equipment, parts and
cipher software)8471  (only cipher equipment)
847330
(only for cipher equipment),854389900 (only for cipherequipment),854390900
(only for cipher equipment) Government Resolution of
15 April 1994, № 331Federal Agency of Government
Communications/ MEDT Art XXI (b) (ii)
Goods of dual purposes which
could be used for production of
chemical, biological or rocketweapons of mass destructionInternationally agreed lists Decrees of the President as of
8 August 2001, № 1004, of
8 August 2001, № 1005 and of
28 August 2001, № 1082Ministry of Defence/ MEDT Art. XXI (b) (ii)
Equipment for unauthorised
receipt of information to protectpublic morals and privacyex.851750,
ex.851780900, ex.852440100,ex.852510900,
ex.852520990,
 ex.8527,ex.900651,ex.900652,ex.852530,ex.852540,
ex.900653100
(all-special devices only)Government Resolution of
10 March 2000, № 214Federal Security Service/ MEDT Art. XX (a)WT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 4 Short Name of the Item HS Code Pertinent legislative actAgencies making prior approval
(authorization)/ Agencies issuing import
licenceGATT/WTO Reference
12 3 4 5
Sturgeon species of fish and
products made there of including
caviarInternationally agreed lists:
ex.030199190,
ex.030269190,ex.030270,ex.030379190, ex.030380,
ex.030410190,
ex.030410910,ex.030420190,ex.030490100,ex.030520,ex.030530900,
ex.030549800,
ex.030559900,ex.030569900, ex.051191900,ex.160419910,ex.160419980,
ex.160420900
(all-only sturgeon species offish),160430100Government Resolution of
17 August 1998, № 968Ministry of Natural Resources/ MEDT Art. XX (b)
Ethyl alcohol 2207 10 000 0,
2207 20 000 0,2208 90 910 0,
2208 90 990 0Government Resolution of
30 December 1996, № 1590No approval prior to licensing is
needed/MEDTArt. XX (b)WT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 5Short Name of the Item HS Code Pertinent legislative actAgencies making prior approval
(authorization)/ Agencies issuing import
licenceGATT/WTO Reference
12 3 4 5
Vodka and some other strong
alcoholic beverages2208 90 110 0,
2208 90 190 0,
ex.2208 90 330 0,ex. 2208 90 380 0,2208 90 410 0,2208 90 450 0,
ex. 2208 90 480 0,
2208 90 520 0,ex.2208 90 570 0,ex.2208 90 690 0,ex. 2208 90 710 0,ex.2208 90 740 0,
ex.2208 90 780 0
2208 60Government Resolution of
30 December 1996 № 1590 and
2 February 1998 № 114.No approval prior to licensing is
needed/MEDTArt. XX (b)
Raw sugar 1701 11 Government Resolution of
23 August 2001, № 622No approval prior to licensing is
needed/MEDTWTO Agreement on
Import  LicensingProcedures,Art. 1 and 3,Administration of TRQ
* Import licenses on weapons and ammunition  are issued by the Ministry of Defence
B.  List of Goods Subject to Automatic Import Licensing
Product group HS Code Pertinent legislative actAgencies making prior approval
(authorization)/ Agencies
issuing import licenceGATT/WTO Reference, Reason
for licensing
12345
Glucose syrup 1702 30 990 1 Government Resolution of
17 July 1998, № 782No approval prior to licensing is
needed/MEDTWTO Agreement on Import
Licensing Procedures,
Art. 1 and 2;Monitoring of trade flowsWT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 6
2. The import licensing applies to the above goods regardless of which country they originate in
and coming from.
3. The Russian import licensing system is not intended to restrict the quantity or value of
imports, but is designed, as an administrative instrument, to fulfil the objectives described in
Section I above.
4. The import licensing system is statutorily required and implemented in accordance with
Article 19 of the Federal Law "On the State Regulation of Foreign Trade Activities"
(No. 157-FZ, dated 13 October 1995) and is specified in the Government Resolution of
31 October 1999, № 1299.
Articles 12 and 15 of the above-referenced Federal Law stipulate that procedures for the
importation of nuclear materials are established by the decrees of the President, while
procedures for the importation of goods affecting Russia's national security interests and for
the fulfilment of its international agreements are laid down by the Government of the Russian
Federation.
III. PROCEDURES
1. There are no imported products subject to the quantity or value restrictions in Russia.
2. (a), (b) Provided that an applicant submits all required documents, the subsequent period for
issuance of a licence may not exceed 25 days. In practice, this period is normally
12-14 days and may, upon the applicant’s substantiated request, be shortened to 3-5
days.
(c) There are no limitations as to the period of the year during which licenses may be
issued.
(d) Import licenses for goods listed in paragraph 1 of Section II above are granted by a
single administrative organ - the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of
the Russian Federation (MEDT). But anyone seeking a licence must first obtain arelevant prior approval (authorization) from the ministry or agency indicated in
column 4 of the List A above. Import licenses for weapons and ammunition are
granted by the Ministry of Defence.
3. An application for a licence may be refused, if the importation of the product in question  into
the customs territory of the Russian Federation is in violation of its national security interests
or its international obligations, or represents a threat to the life and health of Russia'spopulation, wildlife, plants, or the environment.
The reasons for any refusal are given to the applicant in writing within no more than 25 days
after the date on which the respective licence application was filed, and may be appealed
against in court.
IV. ELIGIBILITY FOR IMPORTS TO APPLY FOR LICENSES
1. All individuals and legal entities which are resident in the Russian Federation are eligible to
apply for import licenses.WT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 7
V. DOCUMENTATION AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION FOR
LICENSES
1. An importer seeking an import licence should submit a special application (see the attached
sample application form, in which an applicant is required to complete graphs 2-25, 27) to the
representative of MEDT in the region where the applicant has his legal address. In addition,the applicant is required to supply the original and a copy of the prior approval (authorization)
for the issuance of licence from the appropriate ministry or agency, as well as a copy of the
respective foreign trade contract.
2. The documents required to be presented to customs authorities for the actual importation of
products upon the receipt of a respective licence include, in addition to the licence itself, those
documents which are normally required during customs inspection and clearance procedures.
A fee for issuance of a import licence amounts to 30 minimal statutory established wage rate,
which is stipulated by the Order of the Mi nistry of Trade of the Russian Federation
(predecessor of the MEDT of Russia) dated 6 August 1999 № 363. This fee is approximately
equal to US$90 USD.
3. There are no deposit or advance payment requirements associated with the issue of licenses.
But a licence is only actually issued to the appl icant after he presents a copy of the payment
order confirming payment of the licensing fee.
VI. CONDITIONS OF LICENSING
1. The period of validity of a licence is that which is stated in the application for the licence, but
may not exceed 12 months. The validity of a licence may be extended under a justified
request from a licensee or a new licence may, if required [in case of need], be issued inaccordance with the procedures described above.
2. There is no penalty under the Russian import licensing system for the non-utilisation of a
licence or a portion of a licence.
3. A licence holder is prohibited from transferring his licence to any other importer [participants
in foreign economic activities].  A licence is only valid for the person to whom it has been
issued (and who is identified in the paragraph 5 of the attached Licence Form).
4. (a) Not applicable.
(b) Normally, there are no other conditions attached to the issue of a licence.However, to obtain an import licence for ethyl alcohol and strong alcoholic beverages,
medical products and pharmaceutical substances, an applicant should have corresponding
activity licence.
VII. OTHER PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS
1. Foreign exchange for goods to be imported is automatically provided by the importer's bank.WT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 8
SAMPLE LICENCE APPLICATION FORM
2.Declared expiration date till 1.
APPLICATION No
3.Declared licence type 4.Contract
Nodate
5.Applicant (name and address) Validity period till
                                                              ID code6.Buyer/seller (name and address)
7.Producer/consumer (name and address) 8.Country of buyer/seller
9.Delivery terms
10.Owner of the quota 11.Transaction type
12.Country of destination 13.Terms of payment
14.Country of origin 15.Currency of the contract
16.Basis of application for the licence 17.Applicant's bank (name, address and account number)
Account No
19.CN Code 20.Units 21.Quantity 18.Description of goods
22.Contract value 23.Statistic value, USD
25.Customs 24.Additional information
26."Agreed"
Name
Position
Signature and stamp                                         Date27.Applicant
Name
Position
Phone No
Signature and stamp                                         DateWT/ACC/RUS/10/Rev.1
Page 9
SAMPLE LICENCE FORM
MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
2.Expiration date till 1.
LICENCE No
3.Licence type 4.Contract
Nodate
5.Applicant (name and address) Validity period till
ID code6.Buyer/seller (name and address)
7.Country of destination 8.Country of buyer/seller
9.Type of deal 10.Currency of the contract
11.Basis of the licence
13.CN Code 14.Units 15.Quantity
16.Contract value 17.Statistic value, USD
19.Customs12.Description of goods
18.Additional information
20. "Agreed"
Name
Position
Signature and stamp                                         Date21. Authorised representative of the Ministry
Name
Position
Signature and stamp                                         Date
__________