Russia to Take New Meat Import Duties from Aug. 23

Reported on July 24 by a Russian economic website, thanks to its formal admission to the WTO, Russia will adopt new import duties on some meat and livestock from August 23, 2012.

The import duty on live pigs will descend to 5% from current 40% and the duty will remain zero for purebred breeding pigs.

Within a quota framework, pork duty will drop to zero from current 15% but not lower than 0.25 euro/kg; pork import outside the quota will be subject to the duty of 65%, which is cut down from current 75% i.e. not less than 1.5 euro/kg.

Poultry import duty will remain unchanged: within a quota, the duty is 25% but not less than 0.2 euro/kg; outside the quota, the duty is 80% but not less than 0.7 euro/kg; once the quota is removed, the duty will be set to 37.5%.

Beef import duty will take some change: within a quota, the duty is set to 15%, currently 15% but not less than 0.2 euro/kg; outside the quota, the duty is 50% but not less than one euro/kg.