Lukashenka signs Customs Union

However, the Belarusian ruler still demands not to impose export duties in mutual trade.

Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan signed a declaration putting the Customs Code into force, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said.

“The declaration on coming the Customs Code into effect was signed. It will come into force in trilateral relations on July 6, and for Russia and Kazakhstan, it came into force on July 1,” Medvedev told at a press conference after the session of the summit of EurAsEC, Interfax reports.

The single customs area of Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan becomes operative on July 6, 2010, Russia’s first deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov said.

“Belarus, Russia, and Kazakhstan will have the single customs territory from tomorrow, July 6, 2010. The common Customs Code and all appropriate documents and international agreements will be applied for the common customs area,” Igor Shuvalov said.

As noted by Shuvalov, Belarus still thinks that all members of the Customs Union cannot impose export duties after the Customs Code takes force.

“The Belarusian party raises a question of lifting export duties in mutual trade after the formation of the Customs Union and single customs territory,” Zhuvalov told journalists after the EurAsEC summit in Astana on Monday.

He stressed that “every party has the rights to impose export duties until the single economic area is formed and all agreements on the single economic territory come into force. After the single economic territory is formed, there won’t be such opportunities.”

He added that Belarus thinks the parties lose this right even if only the customs area is formed.

We remind Belarus suggests that Russia should lift duties on oil products in 2010 and duties on oil from January 1, 2011.

Minsk was delaying reification of the Customs Code trying to persuade Russia to lift duties on oil products supplied to Belarus after the country joins the Customs Union.