Heads of shipping companies, shipyards and manufactures of ship components have met for the first time for a detailed discussion of RF Government Decree No 719 in the part of import substitution and local production of ship components. The roundtable meeting “Import Substitution in Russian Shipbuilding: Ambition and Reality” held on August 29, 2019 in St. Petersburg was organized by PortNews Media Group with the support of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping.
The event had five venues involved in video conference format: Saint-Petersburg (hall of Admiral Makarov University), Vladivostok, Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk and Kaliningrad.
The roundtable meeting participants emphasized the necessity to develop import substitution and local production of ship components. However, in their opinion, considerable amendments should be introduced into the Decree No 719. The event participants believe that requirements on import substitution and local production of ship components should be the same for ships of sea, river and mixed navigation. The current document foresees stricter requirements for ships of river and mixed navigation as compared with those of sea navigation.
The participants also agreed on the necessity to extend the period of transition to the levels of local content set forth by the document amid the lack of serial ship components production in the domestic market. Therefore, proposals and state support measures related to tax and customs policy are to be developed in the part of manufacture of equipment and components.
Besides, it was proposed to simplify the procedure for acknowledging ships as complying with the requirements of the abovementioned Decree.
Representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (TSNII Kurs – document author) and the Camber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation expressed their readiness to take into account the proposals when introducing amendments into the document and into the compliance confirmation procedure.
IAA PortNews thanks sponsors of the roundtable meeting, Marine Cargo Bureau LLC and Nordic Engineering JSC, for their support.