Wine Fails to Pass Customs Clearance
The Federal Customs Service (FCS) stopped yesterday a wine consignment of one of the biggest importers of Russia, Vinny Mir (Wine World), blaming the poor quality of wine on it and the attempts to evade taxes. This move of the FCS rattled the market players, who foresee similar problems for other importers.
When importing non-natural wine to Russia via Alabinsky customs post, FCS officers said, Vinny Mir declared it to be natural, intentionally lowering the excise charges. What’s more, of 35,000 bottles worth 750,000 rubles, 10,000 bottles were found dangerous to health.
Nowadays, a wine importer pays 20 percent of the cost as the customs duty and the excise, which amounts to 2.2 ruble per a liter of natural wine. For non-natural wine, however, it equals 112 rubles per a liter of the ethylic alcohol in a bottle. So, the difference between excise rates is roughly nine rubles a liter.
South-West Transport Prosecutors of the Moscow Region brought in a criminal action against Vinny Mir blaming the smuggling on it.
In Vinny Mir, they challenge the conclusion of Federal Customs Service, saying that it is based on the methods that haven’t been sanctioned officially. “The repeated examination that we ordered showed the conformity of imported wine to the current GOST standards,” said Vinny Mir briefer Andrey Egorov.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 21, 2006
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