OREANDA-NEWS. June 22, 2009. The President of the Republic of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, signed Decree No 320 ‘On Imposition of Temporary Import Customs Duties’, reported the Official website president.gov.by.

The decree provides for a temporary (nine months) increase of customs duties on imported heavy duty vehicles (including bolster-type tractors) meeting the Euro III emission standard. The increase will be either 25 per cent (new vehicles) or 50 per cent but no less than EUR2.2 per 1cm? of engine capacity (used vehicles).

The decree unifies the rates of customs duties on the import of new Euro IV bolster-type tractors and new Euro IV heavy duty vehicles with the rates applied in the Russian Federation (5 per cent for bolster-type tractors, 25 per cent for heavy duty vehicles). The decree provides for a temporal zero (0) per cent customs duty on the import of Euro V bolster-type tractors that have been in service for longer than 12 months.

On the one hand, the decree is aimed at protecting Belarusian manufacturers; on the other, it aims to enlarge the fleet of motor vehicles in Belarus that are used for cargo transportation and meet European standards.