So, you decided to engage in sales in Russia, which means that you will inevitably run into the import of goods.

Import of goods should be understood as a process characterized by the importation of products produced abroad of Russia for the purpose of local consumption, the subsequent sale of imported goods or the re-importation of goods.

The company plans to expand interests and engage in foreign economic activity, always strives to think over the optimal scheme for importing goods to Russia, which will take into account its material benefits and, not least, time costs.

However, the import of goods to Russia is a rather complicated procedure and is very different from similar activities, for example, in the European Union. Despite this, a lot of European and American companies show a genuine interest in the issue of importing their goods to the territory of Russia and the countries of the Customs Union.

The Russian Federation accession to the World Trade Organization positively influenced to the import of products from foreign countries. In particular, there was a reduction in customs duties on many types of goods, which made the Russian market more attractive for foreign companies. But the procedures for passing customs control remain very complicated.

The procedure for importing products into Russia is regulated by the Customs and Tax Codes of the Russian Federation. All imported goods must be taxed: there is a collection of customs duties, excise duty, VAT (value-added tax) and other types of customs duties are levied. The fees are paid by the importer (declarer) or the importer's authorized representative, whose powers are to represent the interests of the importer at the time of crossing the border and are confirmed by the relevant documents.

Documents For Importing Goods To Russia.

The rules for the import of goods into Russia presuppose the mandatory registration the following documents :

• The constituent documents of the company that buys goods - your Russian company (copies).
• Original properly formed (according to the "Requirements for the contract") contract and its two copies, which will be the seal of the acquiring company.
• Passport of the import transaction (copies certified by the bank, copies certified by the buyer).
• Accompanying documents related to the goods arrived, which will indicate the current details of the buyer and seller, the number assigned to the contract, the cost of the products, the essential terms of delivery (all the data above must necessarily coincide with the same data , specified in the contract).
• Translated invoice of the goods, certified by the seal of the company.
• Documents confirming the company's license to conduct foreign trade, various certificates and other permits (when required).
• Payment order or any other document confirming the payment of customs fees (original).
• Information (packing list) on the packing material, weight of the products, the number of seats for the expected consignment should be indicated - relative to each item of the goods.
• Other documents mentioned in terms of delivery and contract. For example: a bill of lading (if carried by sea); TIR, CMR (if road transport is carried out); documents confirming cargo insurance; documents confirming the availability of prepayment, and others.
• Documents confirming the customs value of the products: transportation documents, documents confirming insurance (if specified in the terms of the contract), documents in which the transport costs are indicated, if those were not specified in the invoice.

The Customs Service May Request The Following Additional Documents :

customs declaration of the sending country, certified by the seller;

• Additional contracts concluded with persons related to the transaction;
• Accounts for payments to third parties in favor of the seller;
• Accounts related to commission, brokerage services and related to valued goods;
• Payment accounting documents;
• Licensing or author's agreements;
• Licenses for export / import;
• Receipts from storage warehouses;
• Documents confirming the order of delivery of the goods;
• Catalog, specification, price-list from the manufacturer;
• The calculation made by the manufacturer on the goods being valued (if firm agrees to provide such a calculation to the buyer from the Russian side);
• Payment and other documents related to the conduct of similar transactions or the purchase of similar goods;
• Other documents that can confirm the value of the goods declared in the customs declaration.

If the goods after crossing the border are delivered to the destination point by the territory of Russia, the shipping cost is deducted from the customs value. However, in order to carry out the recalculation, clear documentary evidence is required that the goods were transported through the territory of Russia, and evidence of such deductions and their quantity.

This can be contracts for the delivery of goods, which will indicate the cost of delivery and payment method, invoices indicating the details of the parties, documents confirming the payment for delivery services in accordance with the invoice.

Article 19.1 (a) of the Russian Law "On Customs Tariff" states that the cost of delivery includes the cost of transporting the goods, the cost of work related to unloading and loading of goods, the cost of cargo insurance. Accordingly, when the question of reimbursement of customs value is considered at the expense of the cost of delivering goods across Russia from the place where it was imported, each component of the cost of delivery is considered separately, since the cost of transportation will depend on the distance, loading operations - on the weight of the goods, and insurance - of the cost of the goods themselves.

The following explanatory materials are provided for a specific products: booklets, samples, technical description of the goods, drawings and so on. Copies of these documents must be certified by the seal of the acquiring company.

Under What Scheme Realized Import Of Goods To Russia?

Import of goods to Russia can be dealt independently, thoroughly studying the current legislation. But if there is a big deal and it is necessary to reduce the possible risks to zero, the intermediary should be connected to the import procedure. We are ready to take all the necessary obligations on ourselves and save you from documentary red tape. However, you need to know that there are two most common import options :

The First Import Scheme
The first scheme of import of goods to Russia is used for residents of the Russian Federation. It is convenient for companies that need to purchase goods abroad, but they do not plan to become participants in foreign economic activity.
To do this, these organizations adress to the services of an intermediary company, reducing the possible risks associated with the import of goods and avoiding the payment of additional taxes on the territory of Russia. Currency operations (if there is a need for them) are performed by the intermediary, so the customer may not open his own currency account, for transactions with the intermediary, it will be sufficient to have an already existing ruble account.

Participants In The Scheme :

• A resident (a Russian firm) planning to purchase goods abroad and at the same time wishing to protect themselves from the perceived risks that may arise, for example, in the process of customs clearance of imported goods; (your Russian representative office or company).
• The intermediary (the importer company), taking on the customs clearance of the goods (our company) arriving in Russia, and selling the imported goods to the resident;
• The supplier (the foreign seller of the goods and most likely the sender of the goods-YOU).

Benefits Of The Scheme :

• Currency control and customs authorities do not check the resident when importing goods to Russia and after their release for free circulation;
• There is no need to participate in each related procedure:
 - Registration of the organization in customs authorities;
 - Registration of a foreign trade contract;
 - Opening a passport of the transaction in the bank;
 - Control of storage times in temporary storage warehouses.

The resident at the same time has on hand all the documented reporting on the transactions and expenses.
To implement the scheme, the intermediary and the resident can conclude a commission agreement or a contract of sale. An intermediary on behalf of a resident enters into a foreign trade contract with a supplier for the import of goods and services to Russia. If necessary, prepayment for the goods is made, this is done by the intermediary.
Then the goods are delivered to the address indicated by the intermediary, and then he carries out customs clearance of the cargo.

The Second Import Scheme
The second scheme of imports to Russia is used for non-residents (foreign persons). As a rule, it is used in companies that are manufacturers, forwarders, carriers, or in any other foreign companies interested in exporting their products. This option is used when the customer in Russia wants to buy goods and at the same time does not want to deal with importation, customs clearance, participate in foreign currency foreign trade transactions.



Participants In The Scheme :

• Non-resident (foreign organization);
• The importing company (the consignee of the goods) registered in Russia, engaged in the customs clearance of cargo in Russia and selling goods issued by a foreign company;
• A customer (buyer) who has a registration in the territory of the Russian Federation and who wants to buy goods in any country, but he does not want to deal with customs clearance issues and be under currency control by the auditors.

The customer chooses the goods, and then seeks help from the intermediary to import the selected items into Russia. The mediator takes care of all organizational issues :

• Conclusion of an agreement with the customer, prepayment by the customer on the basis of the concluded agreement;
• Conclusion of a foreign trade agreement with a non-resident;
• Purchase of goods abroad and import to Russia;
• Customs clearance of goods;
• Payment of state duty and VAT;
• Sale of goods to the customer.

Benefits Of The Scheme :

• The customer removes all risks, because the prepayment is paid by the Russian company, and there are no problems associated with the customs clearance of the import of goods to Russia.

We will take care of all these hardships. We will provide legal advice, select an office and legal address, hire a General Director or offer you a nominee ­ as long as you do not choose your representative for this position, we will help to complete all the documentary processes and even will hire a staff!

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