Resolution #992 of the Council of Ministers of Belarus of July 7, 2008 vests the State Customs Committee (SCC) of Belarus with a right to sign a protocol with the Customs Service of Moldova on introducing free trade regime for goods transited through the countries that are not members of the free trade zone agreement of April 15, 1994.
The draft protocol between the Belarusian SCC and the Customs Service of Moldova gives an opportunity to transport goods via other states with the simultaneous observance of two conditions, BelTA was told in the State Customs Committee. While in a transit country the goods have to be under a customs control and do not change its original state without taking into account the transformation due to its natural deterioration and without deriving economic benefits. The observance of these two conditions gives a right for free trade.
The SCC explained that in line with the free trade regime agreement, the CIS member-states do not apply customs duties, taxes and qualitative restrictions on the imports and (or) exports of goods of the countries – members of the agreement. At the same time the country of origin of goods is defined in line with the rules to determine the country of origin of goods. The rules were confirmed by the decision of the Council of the CIS Heads of Government of November 30, 2000.
In accordance with Article 9 of the rules, the product falls within the free trade regime on the customs territories of the states, the members of the agreement, under special conditions. One of the conditions is the imports of goods from the customs territory of one of the countries, the members of the agreement, to the customs territory of the other participant. The goods should not leave the territories of these countries except the cases when such transportation is impossible in view of their geographical position. In line with the Belarusian legislation, the breach of this condition imposes customs duties on the goods during their imports to the country.
At the same time Article 9 provides an opportunity to coordinate other cases in which the goods in their transportation can leave the territories of the participating members of the agreement. “That why the draft protocol on introducing free trade regime for goods transported via the countries that are not the members of this agreement has been developed,” the SCC said.
Written by belta.by
