G/LIC/Q/RUS/3  
 
11 June 2014  
(14-3355)  Page: 1/3  
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
RUSSIAN FEDERATION IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES1 
REPLIES BY THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION TO QUESTIONS FROM CANADA,  
THE EUROPEAN UNION, JAPAN, AND THE UNITED STATES 
 
The following communication, dated 6 June 2014, is being circulated at the request of the delegation of the Russian Federation. 
 
_______________ 
  
The Russian Federation would like to thank Canada, the European Union, Japan, and the 
United States for comments and questions relating to the system of import licensing in the Russian Federation and would like to provide responses to the questions (G/LIC/Q/RUS/1 and 
G/LIC/Q/RUS/2) as follows: 
 1.  Notification of the Russian Federation of Replies to the Questionnaire on Import Licensing 
Procedures under Article 7.3 of the Agreement was provided under G/LIC/N/3/RUS/1. 
 2.  More than 20 documents in the sphere of import licensing were notified under G/LIC/N/1/RUS/2 with website references to enable governments and traders to become 
acquainted with them as well with summary of the publication and/or the legislation. Texts of 
three Agreements within the framework of th e Customs Union have been provided to the 
Secretariat for consultations by members. 
 
3.  In document G/LIC/Q/RUS/1 (question 5) we re mentioned many no longer valid documents. 
 
3.1. Ethyl spirits and alcoholic products, precious metals, precious stones and commodities 
containing precious metals are excluded from the import licensing regime, so the following documents are not in force: 
 
- CU Commission Decision No. 747 of 16 August 2011 "On Amendments to Normative 
Legal Acts of the Customs Union in the Sphere of Non-Tariff Regulation in Relation to Ethyl Spirits and Alcoholic Products; 
- CU Regulations of the "Order of Import of  Ethyl Alcohol and Alcoholic Products to the 
Customs Territory of the Customs Union”, adopted by the CU Commission Decision No. 132 on 27 November 2009; 
- CU Regulations “On the Order of Entry into the Customs Territory of the Customs 
Union within the Eurasian Economic Community and the Export from the Customs Territory of the Customs Territory of the Cu stoms Union within the Eurasian Economic 
Community Precious Metals, Precious Stones and Commodities Containing Precious 
Metals”, adopted by the CU Commission Decision No. 132 on 27 November 2009. 
 
3.2.  CU Commission Decision No. 132 of 27 November 2009 "On a Single Non-Tariff Regulation 
of the Customs Union of the Republic of Belaru s, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian 
Federation" including List of Goods that are subject of import/export prohibitions or restrictions from the part of CU members within the framework of Eurasian Economic 
Community in trade with third countries and respective regulations is replaced by the 
Decision of the Board of EEC № 134 of 16.08.2012 (Decision of the Board of EEC № 134 was 
                                               
1 See Understanding on procedures for th e Review of Notifications (G/LIC/4). G/LIC/Q/RUS/3 
 
- 2 - 
 
  notified under G/LIC/N/1/RUS/1 and G/LIC/N/1/RUS/2). The Decision approved the 
Common List of Goods that are subject of import/export prohibitions or restrictions from the part of CU members within the framework of Eurasian Economic Community in trade with third countries and respective regulations. Thus, the following documents are no longer 
valid: 
  - CU Regulations "On the Order of Entry into the Customs Territory of the Customs 
Union and Removal of the Customs Territory of the Customs Union of Encryption 
(cryptographic) means", dated 1 December 2009 (as amended on 25 October 2010); 
 - CU Regulations "On the Order of Entry into the Customs Territory of the Customs 
Union of Medicines and Pharmaceutical In gredients”, adopted by the CU Commission 
Decision No. 132 on 27 November 2009; 
 - CU Regulations “On the Procedure for the Import into the Customs Territory of the 
Customs Union and Export from the Customs Territory of the Customs Union of 
Special Technical Devices for Obtaining Information Surreptitiously”; 
 - CU Regulations on the "Order of Exportation of Mineral Raw Materials from the 
Customs Territory of the Customs Union”, adopted by the CU Commission Decision 
No. 132 on 27 November 2009; 
 - CU Commission Decision No. 748 of 16 August 2011 "On Amendments to the 
Regulations on the Order of Importation of  Medicines and Pharmaceutical Substances 
to the Customs Territory of the Customs Union". 
 
4.  Some documents mentioned in G/LIC/Q/RUS/1 do not apply to import licensing procedures:  
- CU Decision of the CU Commission No. 168 of 27 January 2010 "On Maintenance of 
Functioning of Unified System for Non-Tariff Regulation in Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia" (as last amended by Decision of the Board of EEC 
№ 134 of 16.08.2012);  
- Decision No. 19 of the CU Interstate Council "On a Single Non-Tariff Regulation of the 
Customs Union of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian 
Federation" of 27 November 2009;  
- Federal Law No. 128-FZ of 8 August 2001 "On Li censing of Specific Types of Activities" 
(last amended on 27 December, 2009);  
- Federal Law No. 61-FZ "On the Circulation of Medicines" of 12 April 2010. 
 
5.  Licensing procedures for specific products are described in detail in notification G/LIC/N/3/RUS/1. The current system of import licensing in the Russian Federation is transparent 
and takes into account the interests of participants of foreign economic activity. 
 5.1.  The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Ru ssian Federation is the only body authorized to 
issue import licenses. Administrative Regulation of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the 
Russian Federation determines the procedure and maximum processing time for issuing 
licence – 15 days. All information about import licensing procedures and application forms are available on the special website "Support for foreign trade participants" 
(http://www.non-tariff.gov.ru). Applic ants have the opportunity to fill in an application form 
for import licence directly on the website. Also applicants may submit an application form 
and the required documents to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation 
or to its regional offices in all regions of Russia. 
 5.2.  The Resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation № 1567 defines federal 
executive bodies authorized for approval of applications for licences to import of goods. Each 
federal executive body has Administrative Re gulation with the established procedure for 
permit and a maximum period of consideration that does not exceed 30 days. 
 
6.  The system of the import licensing applies to pipes of stainless steel and to combine harvesters 
as a result of the application of safeguard measures  in the form of an import quota. From the date 
of adoption of safeguard measures these products are included into the import licensing regime in 
accordance the Annex 2.29 of Common List of Good s that are subject of import/export prohibitions 
or restrictions from the part of CU members within the framework of Eurasian Economic Community in trade with third countries, stipulated by the Decision of the Board of EEC № 134 of 
16.08.2012. 
 G/LIC/Q/RUS/3 
 
- 3 - 
 
  The same Administrative Regula tion of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian 
Federation is applied when issuing licences.  Application of import licensing procedures to goods in respect of which an import quota is set as a 
safeguard measure is stipulated by the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic 
Commission № 169 of 25.09.2012 "On amending the legal acts of the Custom Union in the field of 
non-tariff regulation" amended to the Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission 
№ 134 of 16.08.2012 (Decision № 169 was notified under G/LIC/N/1/RUS/2). 
 All Decisions of the Board of the Eurasian Econom ic Commission on introducing and changing of 
safeguard measures on pipes of stainless steel and on combine harvesters were notified to the 
WTO Committee on Safeguards. 
 7.  The Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission № 103 of 14.05.2013 also 
amends Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission № 134 of 16.08.2012 and 
clarifies the import licensing regime for products with cryptographic capabilities. Categories of the goods with cryptographic capabilities which are not prohibited and restricted for the distribution 
and use were formed on the basis of agreements fixed in the Report of the Working Party on the 
Accession of the Russian Federation to the WTO.  Primary 11 Categories of the “Mass market products” included in the List adopted by Decision of 
the Board of EEC № 134 of 16.08.2012 are in compliance with categories any activities related to 
which do not require licensing according to the Russian legislation.   
The List was formed on the basis of a “white list” principle by naming each category of the 
products included in it. Inclusion of the goods in each category is based on the practical, universally recognized, avoiding double interpretation, criteria – features (key length, lack of 
thorough inscription, cordless operation range and etc.). 
 I n  t h i s  r e s p e c t ,  n o  a d d i t i o n a l  e v i d e n c e  ( d a t a )  i s  r e q u i r e d  w h e n  s u b m i t t i n g  n o t i f i c a t i o n  f o r  registration. The above List has been affectively used for more than 10 years as a core document 
in the execution of licensing related to products with inscription, including their imports and 
exports and became an integrated part of these activities.  
The definition of the term “mass market products” is not given in the Wassenaar Arrangements. 
Definition of the term “mass market products” was introduced in during the process of negotiation 
on the accession of the Russian Federation to th e WTO as a working tool for achievement of an 
agreement on paragraph 12 of schedule 29 of the Re port of the Working Party on the Accession of 
the Russian Federation to the WTO. The Russian Federation fulfilled its WTO obligations and included this category into the List. Category 12 of the List fully correspond to paragraph 12 
schedule 29 of the Report of the Working Party on  the Accession of the Russian Federation to the 
WTO by structure and language. 
 8.  The average processing time for an import licence for products with cryptographic capabilities 
currently stands 45 days: 30 days for permit from the Federal Security Service (FSB) and 15 days 
for licence from the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The period of 45 days is fully consistent with Article 3 of the Import Licensing Procedures Agre ement. We would be grateful for any information 
on violations of the terms of issue of licences or permits. 
  
__________