Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012

2011: Data and Reviewsmajority of which will be valid until 2015. Kazakhstan may lower customsduty rates on over 400 goods, including cars, sugar, medicines, plastics, paper,aluminium goods and electronics. Belarus too will pay reduced car importduties. However, an additional fee is applied to these goods as they cross theRussian border to balance the total payment to the common tariff.Customs Union states unify rail tariffsMay 23, 2011VedomostiIn mid May Kazakhstan’s Majilis (the Lower Chamber of Kazakhstan’sParliament) ratified the agreement on regulating access to rail transport services,including pricing policies. The agreement had been signed by Russia, Belarusand Kazakhstan in December 2010. It foresees the use of one unified tariffinstead of three – export, import and intrastate – from January 1, 2013. Thetariffs will be determined in accordance with the national legislation of eachcountry with potential differentials based on the nature of freight, type of cars,distance and railcar loading level.The essence of unification is that the parties voluntarily waive protectionistpractices in the field of rail transport; however, each country defines its ownunified tariff to protect national interests and reduce the tariff burden on domesticconsignors. For instance, if a Kazakh entrepreneur plans to work with OJSCRussian Railways (RZD), he will be offered the same conditions that are offeredto Russian businessmen, from provision of rolling stock to the tariff level.Tariff unification would reduce the cost of freight transport for many but not allbusinesses. Thus, for example, Russian mineral fertilizer producers, Silvinit andUralkali, may find their transport costs increase under the unified tariff, becauserebates for certain export routes will be abolished, affecting return journeys ofempty railcars. According to experts, tariff unification bears potential risk forKazakhstan, since the main flow of commodities is from Russia to Kazakhstanbut not vice versa.Nevertheless, tariff unification brings great potential benefits. Among otherthings, it will guarantee equal access to infrastructure as a step towards securingequal conditions for all carriers from January 1, 2015. Regulations on equalaccess to infrastructure will be drafted by January 1, 2013.Kazakhstan in the Customs UnionMay 23, 2011Expert KazakhstanFrom January 1, 2010 Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus have operated a unifiedcustoms policy regulated by eight international agreements, a unified customs238 EDB Eurasian Integration Yearbook 2012