Opening the meeting, Mr Zubkov said that increasing numbers of letters had been arriving at the Commission recently concerning customs duty rates. "Amid the global economic crisis, with market conditions changing very rapidly, we should give these letters prompt attention," he said. "For this reason," he went on to say, "I have decided to make Commission meetings regular - once every two weeks." He drew particular attention to the need for all ministries and government departments to prepare customs and tariff changes thoroughly and well.
Commission members also recommended cancelling for nine months the import customs duty on scrap and waste copper. The decision was taken to improve conditions for the production of copper products at a time when available resources in Russia are shrinking, as well as in Kazakhstan and Moldova, which are traditional suppliers of such resources.
The Commission approved in principle the proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture, drafted jointly with the main Russian sugar producers, to raise the floating import customs duty on raw sugar from $140-$270 per ton to $180-$270 per ton. With the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service now looking into the rationale behind a sharp rise in white sugar prices, the Commission will take a final decision on the matter at one of its next meetings.
The Commission also decided to:
- consider again the proposal on changing import customs duties on cheese;
- keep the existing import duty on alkylbenzene sulfoacid;
- apply the import customs duties raised to 15% by Government Resolution No. 9 of January 9, 2009 to metal products classified according to the codes TN VED 7213 91 410 0, 7213 91 700 0 and 7213 99 100 0.
After examining the other items on the agenda, Mr Zubkov gave a directive to consider and draft proposals for increasing import duties on capelin and to update the list of production equipment not manufactured in Russia and imported duty-free.