Officials admit that as one channel of illegal imports is cut off, a new one appears.
Photo: Vasily Shaposhnikov
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Imports Up 50 Percent in Russia
Imports in Russia went up more than 50 percent in the first three months of the year, according to the Federal Customs Agency. The statistics show some success in battling illegal import schemes, experts believe.
Russia imported goods worth $30 billion in January-March 2007 from non-CIS countries, up 50.6 percent, compared to the period in 2006, according to the Federal Customs Service. Meanwhile, the Central Bank reports that imports grew 35.8 percent as banking official calculate money flows rather than imported goods.
However, statistics of the customs agency and banking authorities are closer this time than last year. Goods are now declared with higher prices, which shows that the share of illegal import is shrinking.
Central Bank Chairman Sergey Ignatyev has recently announced a decline in illegal imports from 21 percent in 2005 to 16 percent in 2006. As example of this, footwear imports reportedly went up 87 percent last year, showing that more companies have preferred to use legal schemes after the system of streamlines customs dues on shoes was introduced.
Still, the share of illegal imports in Russia is declining way too slowly with its annual volume estimated at $25 billion against $140 billion of legal imports. The Central Banks admits that as one channel of murky imports is cut off, a new one appears.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Apr. 16, 2007
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