Specialists from Sakhalin Customs and a subsidiary of the Far East and Arctic Development Corporation – KRDV Sakhalin and Kurils told business representatives about the most effective ways of applying the free customs zone (FCZ) customs procedure in the Territories of Advanced Development (TAD), in the Free Port of Vladivostok (FPV) and in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on the Kuril Islands.
A seminar on the application of the STZ procedure was held in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It was attended by representatives of Sakhalin Customs, the Sakhalin and Kuril Islands RCRA, residents of the Territorial Development Zone, participants of the preferential regime on the Kuril Islands and other representatives of the business community. Some investors implementing projects in the Far East with the application of state support measures joined the discussion via video link
According to Igor Egorov, head of the department of customs procedures and customs control, the SEZ created on the Kuril Islands in April 2023 provides for the possibility of applying the customs procedure of a free customs zone. It provides for the import of foreign goods without payment of import duties and taxes and further use of these goods on the territory of the Kuril Islands
The Free Customs Zone procedure is currently applied in the Sakhalin Oblast by one resident in the Kuril Territorial Industrial Development Zone (TOR “Kurily”), which is engaged in the fish processing industry. In addition, in the region of Sakhalin Customs, the STZ customs procedure is actively used by residents in Chukotka and Kamchatka. Representatives of the hotel, tourism and construction industries are showing interest in the FTZ
Maria Grishinkova, Director of the Sakhalin and Kurils Regional Development Center, noted that the Seaport allows businesses to equip their enterprises with high-tech equipment, import construction materials and raw materials with preferential customs duties, reducing the cost of construction work. In addition, STZ helps residents to conduct profitable foreign trade activities at the operational stage
The application of the STZ customs procedure in TOR, SPV and SEZ has its own peculiarities, which were explained by Victoria Zharkova, a representative of Sakhalin Customs.
The application of the STZ customs procedure in TOR, SPV and SEZ has its own peculiarities
In the TOR and SPV, the application of the customs procedure of STZ is allowed in the areas of residents where customs control zones are created.
In the TOR and SPV, the application of the customs procedure of STZ is allowed in the areas of residents where customs control zones are created
In contrast to TOR and SPV, SEZ is not a customs control zone. The importation of foreign goods under this customs procedure in the Kuril SEZ is provided for SEZ participants (preferential treatment) – persons determined by the tax authorities under Article 246.3 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation. The use of goods under this customs procedure is possible within the Kuril Islands
The export of goods placed under the customs procedure of the STZ outside the resident areas or from the territory of the Kuril SEZ is possible only with the permission of the customs authority and, in most cases, requires the completion of the customs procedure
In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, an SPV resident is completing the construction of a hotel complex, the goods for which were imported under the STZ procedure with exemption from duties and taxes. This year the resident plans to finalize the procedure, and duties will be paid for a separate category of goods, which includes removable equipment
TOR residents are planning to import capsule houses from the PRC to Iturup Island. This type of tourism and the destination itself is becoming increasingly popular among guests and residents of the Sakhalin Oblast. The customs officers told about the procedure for residents to submit to the customs office applications for the establishment of a customs control zone for the purposes of applying the customs procedure STZ, about some requirements for the development of residents’ sites for the implementation of projects
The participants of the meeting were also interested in the issues of import and customs clearance of goods. The customs representatives reminded about the possibility of preliminary customs declaration, and also told that risk-free supplies are released by the electronic declaration centers promptly.
The meeting participants were also interested in the issues of import and customs clearance of goods
Yulia Zhdakhina
Spokesperson of Sakhalin Customs
Sakh_pressa@dvtu.customs.ru
(4242) 491 278