22 November 2003 01:40
Govt commission to approve import duties on raw sugar
MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) - The governmental commission on protective measures in foreign trade and customs and
tariff regulation will recommend that the Russian government introduce import duties on raw sugar in 2004, a source in
the commissions has told Interfax.
In accordance with the commission's decision, as of January 1, 2004, the import duties on sugar will be set on
the basis of information obtained by monitoring raw sugar prices on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The monitoring
will be carried out by the Russian Economic Development and Trade Ministry, which will send information to the State
Customs Committee on the fifteenth of each month and publish it in the mass media. The State Customs Committee, in turn,
will levy import duties in accordance with the established norms.
The commission has decided that the duty on raw sugar will be set at $270 per tonne if the stock prices do not exceed
$99.21 per tonne. If the price is between $99.22 and $112.44, the duty will be set at $250 per tonne. If the price is
between $112.45 and $125.66, the duty will be lowered to $235 per tonne. If the price is between $125.67 and $141.1, the
duty will be $221, and if the price is $141.11 and $154.32, the duty will be set at $206.
If the price is between $154.33 and $167.55, the duty will be set at $164, and if the price is between $167.56 and
$182.98, the duty will be $180.
If the price increases to $182.99-198.42, the duty will be reduced to $164 per tonne, and if the price reaches
$198.43 or more, the duty will be $140 per tonne. In addition, the commission has suggested imposing a duty on the
import of white sugar ($340 per tonne) for all of 2004.
The duty on the import of beet sugar is set at $250 for the period between January 1, 2004 and June 30, 2004 and at
$270 for the second half of next year.
In the past few years, raw sugar supplies to Russia have been limited by a tariff quota in the amount of 3.65 million
tonnes in 2001 and 2002 and 3.95 million tonnes in 2003. The import within the quota was subject to a preferential
duty.
These regulations were expected to stay the same in 2004. However, in July 2003, the Economic Development and Trade
Ministry asked the Agriculture Ministry to replace the quota with a flat duty.
Russia's annual need for raw sugar exceed 3.65 million tonnes. [RU EEU EUROPE ASIA EMRG FOD FIN] av tj
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