Customs feels offended for nation’s sake

Federal Customs Service (FCS) of the Russian Federation is developing a set of measures to support Russian ports of the Baltic Sea. To get rid of excessive customs procedures it is proposed to integrate the Baltic and St. Petersburg Customs having transferred the entire clearance cycle to the “dry port”.  Moreover, it is supposed to limit truck delivery of 20-feet and larger containers to Russia in order to support cargo traffic.

To get ashore

North-West Customs Department (NWCD) suggests that the Baltic and St. Petersburg Customs be integrated. As Yuri Lyamkin, first deputy of the Department, said at the briefing after NWCD board meeting, the proposal on customs reorganization has been already submitted to the FCS.

According to the official, it is connected with the specific work of sea border entry points which should deal only with cargo transshipment while today sea border entry points of the Baltic Customs carry out the entire cycle of customs clearance. Upon customs reorganization and integration cargo will pass only the initial phase inspection and then will leave for so called “dry ports” for further clearance. 

However, Yuri Lyamkin thinks it is too early to say when the decision is to be taken as well as if it is to be taken at all. “A negative decision is also possible,” he notes.

As PortNews IAA learnt from FCS headquarters, the initiative of the North-West Customs Department is still under consideration with no decision taken on it yet.

To spite a haughty neighbor
 
Another initiative of the customs is aimed at the support of cargo flow via the ports of the Baltic and the Black Seas through limitation of truck delivery of 20-feet and larger containers to Russia. For this purpose, containers destined for specified sea and railway check points are to be let through the Ukrainian border with the Baltic states with simultaneous introduction of internationally agreed quotas for crossing road check points. 

According to the draft regulations of the government provided to PortNews IAA by FCS, this measure will make it possible to raise loading of Russian seaports by 300,000 TEU and to increase stevedores and cargo carriers’ revenue as well as to unload highways.

Nowadays a substantial part of containerized goods destined for Russian customers are delivered by maritime transport to the ports of Russia’s neighbors (Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Ukraine) and then delivered to the Russian Federation by road transport. It causes truck queues at the border check points, says an explanatory note to the government’s draft regulations jointly developed by FCS and Rosgranitsa with RZD participation. As an example the note refers to the situation at Torfyanovka, where container carriers account for 38% of all vehicles.

"We think this initiative is aimed not at artificial limitation of containers delivery by motor transport but also at regulation of container flow crossing the border "on wheels", Egor Govorukhin, NCC Vice President for Sales & Marketing, told PortNews IAA. According to him, if introduction of quotas not only brings order to land-based customs borders but also predetermines container throughput increase in seaports, stevedoring companies and NCC in particular will encourage it.

The Association of International Road Carriers has rejected to comment on the customs’ initiative.