The Ministry has decided to zero customs duty on imports of components for it equipment, according to “Vedomosti”. This will help to the local collectors, but sadden manufacturers of electronic components.
New rules for import of microelectronics enters into force on 1 September 2015. Zero duties apply to microcontrollers, microchips, resistors, transistors and other parts that do not fall under the category of “ready” of it products. In Russia there are duties from 5 to 17.5% on microelectronics, but finished IT equipment (servers, computers) and components imported duty free for him.
Initially, the Russian authorities refused to implement the decision. The representative of the Ministry of economic development Maxim Medvedkov in comments to the media said Russia will not join the new agreement, as this will have a negative impact on import substitution and will not effectively protect domestic producers of it goods. However, later the abolition of fees for microelectronics ratified, the Board of the Eurasian economic Union (EEU). Russia is a member, as a member of the Customs Union along with Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan.
Lower prices of components will significantly affect the cost of a mass produced consumer equipment, I’m sure the Chairman of the Association of manufacturers of electronic equipment and devices Svetlana Applenova. But at the price of communications equipment, which mainly depends on the software and related costs, impact of VAT, social contributions payroll, high interest on loans, she said.
Zeroing of import duties on imported microelectronic products, which have Russian analogues, definitely bad effect on domestic producers, said the representative of the plant “Micron” (is engaged in the production of microchips, is Sistema) Alexey Dianov. In his opinion, reduced taxes stimulates the import of products to Russia by foreign companies, which is contrary to the public policy of import substitution. Zero duties on those products, which are manufactured by Mikron.
The decision of the Ministry of industry and trade is partly forced. To go on the abolition of duties from office requires “information technology Agreement” (ITA), valid in the framework of the world trade organization (WTO). Russia joined in 2013.
According to the Ministry of industry and trade, the total market for imported integrated circuits, transistors, photosensitive devices and other components in 2014 exceeded $1.2 billion.
