Exemption letter

• Category: CU regulation

Image: Custom office logo

Very often our certification body gets enquiries to certify spare parts or help to obtain exemption letter to clear customs for CU or Russian market. For better understanding here are some facts from GOST R certification history of Russia. About 4-6 years ago many well known companies complained to Russian government and technical regulation authorities that it was very difficult to import goods into Russia because they should get a lot of GOST R certificates, permits, exemption letters, licenses to clear customs and so on. Russian government agreed and simplified the procedure.

1. Now we’ve got a custom regulation act that the spare parts for equipment already certified are not an object of any extra certification (have a look at 2-nd page, 2-nd red-marked paragraph).

2. Earlier there was certification authority which had been authorized by Custom Inspection and Technical Regulation Agency to issue legal letters for custom clearance. It took about 3 days to get such letter and it was acceptable for everyone. Then that function was transferred into special department of Minpromtorg ministry who prepared exemption letters legally for custom clearance during 1 month... No comments. Now we’ve got a Custom Regulation act that exemption letter is outside the law and Ministry regulation act to stop to issue any exemption letters for custom clearance.

It seems that is favorable situation at present moment to import, but it looks a little strange when somebody asks a certification body to issue certificates for spare parts or help to obtain exemption letter. Why did they 4 years ago ask Russian authorities to simplify the import procedure? It’s difficult to understand.

So now every every importer has 2 ways to import goods into Russia.

1. The first way is an importer should prepare  the following  documents below to clear customs:
   — copy of GOST R or CU TR certificate for equipment already certified;
   — firm head letter that spare parts go to repair or serve certified product;
   — select clause 33 in custom declaration that there is NO of any limitations for declared goods regarding custom regulation act (page 21, yellow mark).
   That’s all.

2. The second way is to change custom broker or importer.