Economy Ministry empowered to administer sugar import quotas

The sugar from beet and cane and the sugary products will be placed under controlled customs importation regime only after the Customs Service presents the authorization for the import of the given products, which is issued by the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Economy Ministry was empowered with the right to administer the import quotas on these products under regulations approved by the Government. After holding negotiations with countries that form part of the World Trade Organization (EU member states, Australia, Brazil, Canada and Ukraine), it was decided to introduce a preferential import quota on sugar of 6,500 tonnes. Out of these, 5,500 tonnes will be sugar from the EU, while 1,840 tonnes will be sugary products and syrups, 640 tonnes of which from the EU. The highest customs duties on the import of sugar will be 10%. Authorizations for importing these products will be granted to industrial sugar consumers depending on their technological needs. But they will not be allowed to sell the imported sugar on the domestic market. The authorizations will be issued free of charge for every batch within the limit of 10% of the set quota, within five workdays of the day when the application is filed. They will be valid for 30 days. If the importing economic entities have contracts with foreign partners, there will be issued several authorizations simultaneously, within the limit of 10% of the set quota and according to the fixed procedure. The authorizations will be issued according to the first come, first served principle. The regulations apply to the white sugar from sugar beet and cane and chemically pure saccharose in solid form, with imported smell or color additives, and such sugary products as lactose, maltose, glucose, syrups without smell additives, artificial honey mixed or not mixed with natural honey and caramelized molasses.