MINSK, 10 December (BelTA) – Higher customs duties on cars for juridical persons in Belarus will come into force on 1 January 2010, First Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belarus Vladimir Goshin told media on 10 December. Belarus and Russia have unified 96% of customs tariffs. “This is why starting 1 January 2010 customs duties paid in Belarus will be virtually unchanged, except for one sensitive item – duties on cars,” remarked Vladimir Goshin. Since the unified customs tariff was signed on 27 November 2009, it means that higher duties on cars will come into force on 1 January. They will be applicable to automobiles that juridical persons and self-employed businessmen will import, explained the official. The duties that natural persons will pay are still being discussed. “We are now in talks with partners in Russia and Kazakhstan,” said Vladimir Goshin. In his words, apart from the car duties individuals will pay they are discussing duty-free import of other commodities. At present a person can import 35kg of merchandise worth under ?1,000 to Belarus without paying customs duties. In Russia the relevant figures are 35kg and around ?1,500, in Kazakhstan - $10,000. “We will have to adjust these three figures,” explained the First Deputy Chairman of the State Customs Committee of Belarus.

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