Customs clearance of fruits, vegetables, nuts and dried fruits. Customs broker services at Russian customs

HomeCustoms clearance Fruits and vegetables

Our company carries out customs clearance of fruits, vegetables, nuts and dried fruits (fresh, frozen and in any other, including processed forms: preserves, marmalade, etc.) at any customs offices of the Russian Federation from any country in the world or vice versa to any country in the world, delivered or sent by any means of transport:

• Automotive (Truck)
• Air (Aviation)
• Sea (Container)
• Railway

We provide the services of a customs broker - a customs representative for prompt customs clearance or customs clearance of fruits, vegetables, nuts and dried fruits to any participants in foreign trade activities:

• Legal entities
• For individual entrepreneurs

We quickly carry out customs clearance throughout the Russian Federation at any customs office that is convenient from a logistics point of view along the route of the cargo to the final buyer.

For the most part, the import of vegetables and fruits into Russia is carried out in winter and they require prompt import customs clearance. The main suppliers of fruits and vegetables to the Russian Federation are the CIS countries (Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan), the countries of the Customs Union (Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan), Turkey, Iran, India, China, Thailand, Taiwan, countries of Africa, North and South America, etc. A prerequisite for the import of fresh fruits and vegetables must be the presence of a phytosanitary certificate issued by the phytosanitary service of the country of departure, on the basis of which a Russian phytosanitary certificate will be issued. The manufacturer must be included in the Rosselkhoznadzor register. When importing goods into the Russian Federation, rates of customs duties and taxes are applied in accordance with the current customs tariff, and seasonal import duties are established for many of them. When importing from the CIS countries and Serbia, duty-free import preferences are applied based on a certificate confirming the origin of goods, form ST-1 for the CIS and ST-2 for Serbia - only VAT of 10% or 20% is paid.

When clearing fruits and vegetables through customs, customs must be provided with a certificate - Declaration of Conformity with the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union (DS TR CU) confirming the quality of the product, issued by an accredited product certification body of the Russian Federation. The cost of this document, valid for 1 year, averages 6,000-7,000 rubles.

When exporting fruits and vegetables from Russia to any country in the world, no customs duty is paid from 09/04/2018

We will be happy to help you quickly clear customs or clear fruits and vegetables at any customs office in Russia.

Documents and information for customs clearance of fruits, vegetables, nuts and dried fruits

1. List of documents for registration of an individual at customs (View)
2. List of documents for registration of a Legal entity at customs (View)
3. List of documents for registration of an individual entrepreneur at customs (View)
4. List of documents for customs clearance “Import” (View)
5. List of documents for customs clearance “Export” (View)

Content

• Type of product and exporting countries
• Export from Russia
• Customs clearance of dried fruits and nuts
• International transit
• Procedure and features of customs clearance Determination of classification code
• Phytosanitary control
• Certification and labeling
• Storage locations and temperature conditions

The import or export of vegetables and fruits, like any other type of product, requires mandatory customs clearance for the purpose of placing it under the customs procedure. Customs clearance of vegetables and fruits has its own characteristics and nuances. The specificity of registration lies in the limited storage time of this category of goods and the conditions for carrying out customs control forms during their declaration. All importers and participants in foreign trade activities are interested in reducing the time required for customs clearance of goods, which allows them to better preserve the presentation of products and promptly transfer them to the distribution network .

The procedure for customs clearance of imported food products, namely vegetables and fruits, has the following features:

• Customs clearance is carried out only after completion of phytosanitary control;
• The warehouse for the temporary storage of goods must provide the necessary temperature conditions for the purpose of carrying out forms of customs control, and in the case of unloading and storing vegetables and fruits on its territory, it must be accredited by the Rosselkhoznadzor authorities;
• To prepare phytosanitary documents, a representative of Rosselkhoznadzor must carry out both visual control of the cargo and take samples of it;
• The importer must provide a valid phytosanitary certificate and carry out its authorization (if necessary);
• Packaging and labeling of vegetables and fruits must comply with the requirements of the EAEU legislation.

The export and import of vegetables and fruits provides funds to the countries' budgets to a significant extent. This circumstance is an important condition for the development of trade relations. The directions of transportation of vegetables and fruits vary depending on their type and season; often a country can import vegetables at one period of time and export them at another.

Required documents

In addition to the standard set, for customs clearance of vegetables, dried fruits, nuts and fruits, it is necessary to prepare special documents:

• import quarantine permit;
• conclusion of the sanitary-epidemiological service;
• phytosanitary certificate.

It is very important that paragraph 14 of the phytosanitary certificate contains a reference to the decision of the Eurasian Economic Council dated November 30, 2006. Otherwise, the declarant will receive a fine and a ban on importing products.

Type of product and exporting countries

Importing fruits and vegetables is very important for our country. In winter, fresh products appear on the shelves of our stores thanks to established imports from nearby warm countries. The main suppliers of fruits and vegetables to Russia are:

• CIS countries (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan);
• EAEU countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan);
• Türkiye;
• Iran;
• India;
• China;
• Israel;
• Egypt;
• Countries of South and North America.

From late autumn to early summer, various vegetables and fruits are continuously imported into Russia. To ensure the completeness of the consumer basket of every Russian, our state purchases the following types of fresh products from foreign partners:

• Vegetables - tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, radishes, carrots, garlic, onions, different types of cabbage, potatoes, chili peppers, garlic, etc.
• Fruits - oranges, tangerines, bananas, kiwis, apricots, peaches, pineapples, apples, exotic fruits.
• Berries - watermelon, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, cranberries, currants, raspberries, rose hips, cherries.
• Greens - spinach, cilantro, dill, parsley, arugula, lettuce.
• Nuts – walnuts, pine nuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, peanuts, pistachios.
• Dried fruits - raisins, figs, dried apricots, dates, prunes.

When transporting fruit, you must comply with all the rules for transporting perishable products:

• Ripe, dirty and rotten fruits CANNOT be transported
• The vehicle must be disinfected and decontaminated
• Maintaining temperature and humidity levels is a must
• During transportation, the fruit must be protected from contamination.

If the established rules are not followed, there is a risk of spoilage of the fruit. Also, the goods may be seized along the route.

The fruit is transported using specialized refrigeration units. Sanitary points of the Customs Service monitor the implementation of all rules by carriers. Fruit is transported by the following types of transport:

• Air (most often)
• Nautical
• Automotive
• Railway
• Multimodal

Export from Russia

Exports of agricultural products from Russia show good results, but not every year is a record year. By global standards, exports of the “vegetables” segment are not significant. The main export volume is potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Vegetable supplies mainly go to Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Turkey, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Belarus, and Georgia.

Russia also exports relatively small volumes of fruit. The dominant position in fruit exports is occupied by frozen wild berries. The main buyers of berries from Russia are Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, and Poland. The re-export of bananas to neighboring countries brings good income to the country. Watermelon and melons are another type of product that is in demand abroad. Major consumers of Russian melons are Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Features of customs clearance of goods from Georgia

There are well-established communication routes between Russia and Georgia, and the neighboring borders and the option of duty-free import of goods provide a wide range of opportunities for doing business in this direction.

Customs clearance of dried fruits and nuts

Dried fruits are sun-dried or industrially dried berries and fruits with a residual moisture content of about 20%. Dried fruits and nuts exported or imported into the customs territory of the Russian Federation must go through all stages of customs clearance. The procedure for customs clearance of dried fruits and nuts is no different from the clearance of fruits and vegetables and requires the declarant or customs representative to carefully prepare for customs clearance, collect and fill out a large package of documents.

The main countries supplying popular dried fruits to Russia are the EAEU member countries, as well as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Iran, China, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.

Key exporters/sellers of nuts are Brazil, Argentina, India, China, Vietnam, Iran, Azerbaijan.

In turn, Russia makes good money from the export of wild nuts, primarily pine nuts. In 2021, a multiple increase in pine nut exports from the Siberian Federal District was recorded.

Secrets of transporting fruits from Turkey

The secret to delivering fruit from any country is not only to find a reliable broker in Russia (Moscow), but also to find a customs broker in that country.

An unverified broker may first tell us some payments to the state, and then, when you deliver the cargo, he will say that all the laws in the country have changed, and you will now pay different duties. That is why before customs clearance, customs clearance, sending cargo or before air delivery, all these points need to be agreed upon.

We coordinate the customs declaration with the customs broker in the import/export country. The customs broker there coordinates with customs, and after that we send the cargo. This is the secret of correct cargo delivery.

If your customs broker in another country does not do this, you may incur additional costs. Therefore, you need not only to find a reliable customs broker in Moscow, because the customs representative in Moscow does not know the procedures in the country of shipment, but also to find a competent broker in this country.

Exporting and importing fruits does not include any risks associated with cargo being delayed at customs. Also, when exporting, customs duties are not paid to our state, but are paid only in the country of arrival of the cargo. It is very important to find a reliable broker who will coordinate all selected HS codes, description of goods, customs payments with a customs official.

International transit

• International customs transit is a customs procedure applied to foreign goods transiting through the territory of the EAEU member countries.
  Cargo is placed under the international customs transit procedure when:
• Cargo is moved from one part of the country to another and at the same time the customs territory of other countries is crossed;

When delivering foreign cargo from one country to another.

The international customs transit regime has some features:

• Transportation of cargo across the territory of the Russian Federation occurs under customs control;
• The regime does not provide for the payment of customs duties. Only the customs clearance fee is paid;
• Registration takes place in several stages. It begins with registration at the customs office of arrival and ends at the point of departure;
• The route and timing of delivery of transit cargo are strictly specified;
• A transit declaration is issued for cargo placed under the customs transit regime.

Customs transit cannot be issued for goods prohibited for import into the territory of the Russian Federation. All cargo is transported by vehicles approved for international transportation under customs control. Goods moving through the transit territory are protected from illegal seizure, and transport is sealed by customs officers.

International transportation of vegetables is carried out by various modes of transport:

• railway;
• sea;
• air;
• automobile.

Customs clearance of fruits

Customs clearance of fruit is based on standard processes, the implementation of which guarantees legal import into the country. Products can be registered in several stages:

• arrival. Cargo and vehicles arrive at a specialized customs point. At this stage, the declarant notifies employees of his arrival, which is the beginning of the registration process
• declaration. It is mandatory to fill out a declaration. To obtain a customs document, the declarant must provide an application along with a detailed description of the cargo
• coding. All goods are coded in relation to the current Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity. Based on the established position, the nominal value, import/export rate and VAT are determined
• payment of payments. The declarant is obliged to make mandatory payments and provide supporting receipts to customs officers
• inspection The procedure is not required in all cases. More often, inspections are carried out to check products if there are suspicions about the illegality of the declarant’s actions.
• registration of permission and release.

Customs clearance of fruit applies to all goods belonging to the presented category. The range of operations can be regulated by the declarant, which is available at the legal level. Fruit customs clearance services are carried out only in accordance with the data specified in the contract. It is drawn up between participants in foreign economic activity.

The DMlogist company guarantees the lawful execution of actions in accordance with established rules. Fruit customs clearance services are based on the well-coordinated work of specialists in combination with personally developed algorithms.

Procedure and features of customs clearance

Customs clearance of vegetables and fruits consists of standard customs operations, the implementation of which gives the right to further sale of products within the country. But in addition to the standard package of documents, the declarant or customs representative must prepare additional papers:

• Phytosanitary certificate;
• Quarantine permit;
• Sanitary and epidemiological report;
• Declaration / certificate of conformity;
• Invoice;
• Foreign trade contract.

To reduce the likelihood of delays during customs clearance, documents must be prepared in advance. If errors or inconsistencies are detected, the customs inspector has every reason to order an additional inspection and request missing documents and information. If the documents are filled out in compliance with all legal norms and the cargo has passed the necessary control, the customs clearance of “perishable products” takes several hours.

Requirements for documents related to the supply of vegetables and fruits:

• Mandatory indication of temperature conditions in transport documents;
• Labeling of all boxes according to strict rules;
• Error-free filling of shipping documents.

DEFINITION OF CLASSIFICATION CODE

The most important stage of customs clearance is the classification of goods in accordance with the Unified National Economic Code of the EAEU. For example, all fruits belong to group 08 of the EAEU Common Foreign Economic Act. Each type of fruit is assigned a ten-digit classification code. When performing this task, it is necessary to take into account not only the variety and type of fruits/vegetables, but also the season of import, purpose and their presentation. The EAEU Unified Tax Code for Foreign Economic Activity determines the amount of import customs duties and VAT.

PHYTOSANITARY CONTROL

As mentioned earlier, customs clearance is preceded by the procedure of passing phytosanitary control in the Rosselkhoznadzor authorities. The timing of this stage depends on the remoteness of the customs control zone (hereinafter referred to as the CZC), on the territory of which the goods are located, on the structural unit of Rosselkhoznadzor, as well as the presence in the CZC of the necessary temperature conditions and the necessary equipment. The phytosanitary control procedure includes checking documentation, inspecting cargo, and selecting samples for examination. Inspection of goods is aimed at identifying its contamination with quarantine objects. Read more: Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated June 18, 2010 No. 318

CERTIFICATION AND MARKING

All food products imported into the customs territory are subject to inspection for compliance with mandatory safety requirements, which are established by both regulatory legal acts of the Customs Union and Russia. The basic compliance requirements for food products are established by the Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated December 9, 2011 N 880 “On the adoption of the technical regulations of the Customs Union “On the safety of food products,” which include:

— microbiological standards;

— hygienic requirements;

— parasitological indicators;

— permissible levels of radionuclides and much more.

Compliance requirements apply not only to the product itself, but also to its packaging and labeling, for example, Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated December 9, 2011 N 881 “On the adoption of the technical regulations of the Customs Union “Food products regarding their labeling”

Labeling of vegetables and fruits must contain the following information:

• Sender, manufacturer;
• Recipient;
• Batch number;
• List of items/names, quantity, weight;
• Country of origin;
• Storage conditions;
• Best before date

Storage locations and temperature conditions

Transportation of fruits and vegetables, as well as their location in temporary storage places during customs clearance, requires maintaining a certain temperature regime. When importing perishable goods (especially by air), you need to take this important circumstance into account and first select the required ZTK. When accepting products, temporary storage warehouse employees determine the required temperature conditions based on the information specified in the documents.

Phytosanitary control

Due to the peculiarities of customs clearance of vegetables, namely: the need to undergo phytosanitary control, their customs clearance can only be carried out on the territory of the customs point where there is a specialized laboratory for conducting phytosanitary examination. The phytosanitary control procedure consists of document verification, inspection of transport, products and laboratory testing of product samples. The purpose of the procedure is to identify dangerous pests, viruses, bacteria; products that can harm health or cause mass infection. Sampling is carried out immediately after import and before customs clearance.

Note! Vegetables are cleared through customs only in the presence of representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor. The manufacturer must be included in the appropriate register.

Timing and cost

Due to the limited shelf life of fruits and vegetables, all customs clearance activities must be carried out quickly and accurately. Any delays will result in increased costs. The most common reason for downtime is illiterate execution of permits. With the involvement of a customs broker, the customs clearance procedure takes place in the shortest possible time and with minimal financial costs. UTA specialists, with many years of experience in the field of foreign trade, guarantee the successful resolution of complex issues that arise during cargo clearance.

When supplying plants, vegetables and fruits to the Russian Federation, it is required to calculate customs duties based on the customs duty rates of the current customs tariff. Seasonal duties are established for many product items; some countries are granted tariff preferences and this must be taken into account in the calculation. For example, customs duties on the import of vegetables and fruits into the Russian Federation from CIS countries are 0%, VAT is 10% or 20%, depending on the type of product. When importing vegetables from outside the CIS, the duty varies from 5% to 14%, VAT – 10% or 20%. The UTA team knows all the intricacies and is familiar with the peculiarities of calculating customs duties and taxes, the rules for filling out the necessary customs documentation, the procedure for passing state control forms, and legal support in case of problems or controversial issues. We specialize in the clearance of various cargoes and carry out customs clearance of any vegetables, fruits, nuts, dried fruits! To find out more or get advice about the operations being carried out, please call +7 (863) 311-21-04.

Transportation of fruit from Turkey

Since the shelf life of fruit under the necessary conditions is 2-3 days, fresh fruit is delivered to the Russian Federation mainly by air delivery. Storage conditions for fruit during transportation are from 4 to 5 degrees. And the temperature maintained by the refrigeration chambers at temporary storage warehouses at Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo airports is 2-3 degrees Celsius, because the bulk of imported fruits must be stored at this temperature. If the fruit, after being placed in a temporary storage warehouse, remains there for longer than 1 day, it may simply go bad. Therefore, customs clearance and phytosanitary control procedures need to be accelerated as much as possible and try to be completed in a short period of time (up to 2 days). Delivery of fruit to the Russian Federation must take place under the supervision of an experienced customs broker.

The main importing countries that send fruit are Uzbekistan, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic, Chile, Guatemala, Colombia, Kenya, Israel, South Africa, Spain.

Arrival time for fruit from these countries to the Russian Federation:

• Air transportation of fruit to Russia – 2-3 days (depending on the presence of transit flights)
• Delivery by sea - ports in St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk - 20-35 days, it depends on the country of departure.

Useful excerpts from the law established by law:

Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated June 18, 2010 No. 318 (clause 1, clause 4.1.4):

4.1.4. An official of the authorized body checks the submitted phytosanitary certificate and makes a decision to prohibit the import of a batch of regulated products of high phytosanitary risk or its placement under the customs procedure of customs transit in the following cases:

1) the information contained in the phytosanitary certificate does not correspond to the information in commercial and transport (shipment) documents;

Decision of the Customs Union Commission dated June 18, 2010 No. 318 (clause 1, clause 4.1.6):

4.1.6 A phytosanitary certificate is invalid in the following cases:

1) the phytosanitary certificate is not fully completed;

Federal Law of July 15, 2000 No. 99-FZ “On Plant Quarantine”.

Article 9. Protection of the territory of the Russian Federation from quarantine objects.

Import into the territory of the Russian Federation of regulated products (regulated material, regulated cargo) is permitted if the specified products have documents for their import, as well as documents certifying the compliance of such products with the requirements of international treaties of the Russian Federation relating to plant quarantine, rules and regulations for ensuring plant quarantine .

Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses (Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation).

Article 10.2. Violation of the procedure for import and export of regulated products (regulated material, regulated cargo) Violation of the procedure for import into the territory of the Russian Federation and into zones free from quarantine objects, export from the territory of the Russian Federation and from quarantine phytosanitary zones of regulated products (regulated material, regulated cargo) - entails imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of three hundred to five hundred rubles; for officials - from five hundred to one thousand rubles; for legal entities - from five thousand to ten thousand rubles.

Documents for issuing a ST-1 certificate for fruit (samples of documents for ST-1)

• completed application via email. form ;
• foreign trade contract (scan);
• information letter from the manufacturer about the composition

  
  ;

• invoice

  
  ;

• waybill

  
  ;

• declaration for goods marked “release permitted”

  
  and others.

Foreign trade with Georgia

Over the past year, trade volumes between Russia and Georgia decreased by 1.71%. The amount of trade in 2021 between our countries amounted to 1.3 billion US dollars. The trade balance was positive.

The reduction in exports over the past year reached 7.77% ($74 million). The total volume of supplies amounted to 882 million. The main categories were the following types of goods: food products - 32.91%, mineral products - 30.97%, chemical products - 11.82%, machinery and transport - 10.73%, etc.

In turn, imports of Georgian goods increased by 12.88% compared to 2021. The categories of the Georgian market that are in greatest demand on the Russian market are food, metals and machinery. Russia's imports from Georgia amounted to $449 million.

Despite the strained political relations between Russia and Georgia, this state is a very important economic partner for us. In the share of Russian foreign trade turnover, Georgia ranks 61st.

Vegetable certification

According to the established legislation of the Russian Federation, certification of vegetables is a mandatory procedure. Previously, all products from the presented category required a certificate. Changes made to the certification procedure for vegetables state the need to obtain a declaration of conformity.

Important! Obtaining a certificate does not apply to vegetables grown for personal needs (in your own garden). Certification is required for consignments of goods intended for sale among the population.

The declaration of conformity is issued on the basis of the established GOST R 51074-97. The procedure is carried out in accordance with the established “Rules for Certification of Food Products and Food Raw Materials”. To obtain a permit, you must provide expanded information about the cargo, including:

• names
• batch size
• quantitative and qualitative characteristics
• country of origin
• a document reflecting compliance with established standards.

Clearance and registration of cargo is carried out in special accredited centers. Vegetable certification services are provided by licensed organizations. DMlogist company offers comprehensive support in obtaining permits. We will help you determine the need to issue a particular certificate/declaration based on the specifics of the cargo. Vegetable certification services are provided after signing the contract. It contains a detailed action plan, indicating a list of necessary documentation.

Importing countries

Fresh tangerines are imported to Russia from the following countries:

• Abkhazia;
• Türkiye;
• China;
• Egypt;
• Georgia;
• Syria;
• Thailand;
• Tunisia;
• Iran;
• Pakistan;
• South Africa;
• Argentina;
• Brazil;
• Vietnam.

ATTENTION! We work only with legal entities.

Fruits from European countries, which are also large producers of tangerines, are not imported due to sanctions.