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Minsk concerned about poor customs controls at Russia's, Kazakhstan's borders with China

The State Customs Committee (SCC) of Belarus is concerned about poor customs controls at Russia's and Kazakhstan's borders with China, SCC Deputy Chairman Vasil Dzemyantsey said in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, as quoted by BelaPAN.

The three ex-Soviet countries formed a customs union earlier this month, scrapping mutual customs controls and allowing nearly all goods imported from other countries to move free of duty between their borders.

Speaking to members of the lower chamber, the top-ranking customs official expressed fears that the establishment of the customs union could lead to a sharp increase in sales of smuggled Chinese goods in Belarus. Household goods valued at $6.5 billion were brought to Russia from China last year and as much as $6 billion worth of them were smuggled, Mr. Dzemyantsey stressed.

The establishment of the customs union has allowed individuals to bring in to Belarus goods worth up to €1,500 with a total weight of no more than 50 kilograms free of duty, Mr. Dzemyantsey said, adding that many Belarusians were using the new rules to buy household electronics, in particular TV sets abroad.