Yury Ladygin: “Region’s customs is able to handle much larger volumes of transit cargo”
Transit potential of Russia’s Far East has been widely discussed recently. In his interview with IAA PortNews, Head of Far East Customs Yury Ladygin tells about the challenges and the achievements in this field.
- Mr. Ladygin, what are the proposals of the Far East Customs on facilitation of procedures for products carried by international transport corridors Primorye-1 and Primorye-2?
- In March 2016, Far East Customs developed and submitted to the Federal Customs Service of Russia proposals on optimization of customs procedures related to transportation of transit cargo by international transport corridors Primorye-1 and Primorye-2.
According to Article 215 of the Customs Unions’s Code, these proposals are applicable to transportation of any foreign trade products from customs of arrival to customs of departure.
Those proposals are intended to simplify and improve customs procedures … . Besides, proposals are being elaborated on development of software for a wider application of e-declaration.
No customs fees are foreseen for declaration under customs procedures for transit cargo.
- What is the capacity of checkpoints at Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 routes?
- Designed daily capacity of checkpoints is as follows: Kraskino: 48 cargo vehicles, 40 buses; Pogranichny (highway): 100 cargo vehicles, 44 buses; Pogranichny (railway): 32 cargo trains, 4 passenger trains; Makhalino: 20 trains; Vostochny: 24 vessels; Vladivostok: 25 vessels; Zarubino: 4 vessels; Posiet/Slavyanka: 1/5 vessels accordingly.
- How much cargo was carried via those checkpoints within the framework of Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 projects? What throughput does the Far East Customs expect when all works on development of international transport corridors (ITC) are completed?
- In the first quarter of 2016, 50.5 t of cargo (two batches) was carried by international transport corridor Primorye-1; in 2015 – 835.5 t of cargo (143 batches).
301 batches totally weighing 3,863.7 t were carried by Primorye-2 in 2015 and 97 batches (1,380 t) – in January-March 2016.
In 2015-2016, mostly railway transport was used at Primorye-1 corridor and automobile transport – at Primorye-2.
Transport companies and business community generally demonstrate their interest in full-scale operation and development of cargo traffic along Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 corridors
Meanwhile, expansion of Primorye-1 and Primorye-2 corridors’ capacity and improvement of their competitiveness in the international market of transport services depends directly on its stakeholders’ economic activity, infrastructure of highways, ports and checkpoints, modernization of port facilities, port charges and railway/highway transportation rates.
We think that regulations of the Federal Customs Service related to customs procedures and the number of staff at the authorities administering the mentioned points have low influence on functioning of ITC Primorye-1 and ITC Primorye-2.
Far East Customs has frequently marked the ability of the regional customs to handle much more transit cargoes without expansion of the staff without compromising the quality of customs control.
- Which commercial companies operate at the checkpoints along ITC routes? On what grounds? How favorable are their activities for ITC development?
- The list of entities operating at ITC checkpoints includes operators of sea terminals and companies providing forwarding services.
Besides, the list of commercial companies includes Russian Railways and other Russian and foreign transport companies involved in cargo transportation by road and water transport.
In this context we emphasize that Article 216 of the Customs Unions’ Code sets forth the conditions for transit cargo customs procedures which do not include compulsory services of a customs carrier. So cargo transportation under customs procedures for transit cargo can be carried out by any carriers even those not included into the register of customs carriers.
Interviewed by Yevgeny Pankratjev.
