The World Customs Organization

The World Customs Organization (WCO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. With its worldwide membership, the WCO is recognized as the voice of the global customs community. It is particularly noted for its work in areas covering the development of international conventions, instruments, and tools on topics such as commodity classification, valuation, rules of origin, collection of customs revenue, supply chain security, international trade facilitation, customs enforcement activities, combating counterfeiting in support of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), integrity promotion, and delivering sustainable capacity building to assist with customs reforms and modernization. The WCO maintains the international Harmonized System (HS) goods nomenclature, and administers the technical aspects of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreements on Customs Valuation and Rules of Origin.

Unit 2. Customs control

Warm up

Exercise 1. Nowadays a lot of people spend their holidays abroad. Have you ever been abroad? Have you passed through customs control? Do you know how to fill in the declaration?

Exercise 2. Match the English words on the left with their Russian equivalents on the right. Learn the words by heart.

1. a customs border	a) зеленый/красный коридор;
2. customs clearance	b) культурные ценности;
3. assets	c) таможенная граница;
4. a green/red corridor	d) декларировать;
5. to declare	e) истечение срока действия;
6. a refugee	f) имущество; активы;
7. constant residence	g) изучение; проверка;
8. cultural values	h) растаможка, таможенное оформление;
9. an inquiry	i) постоянный житель;
10. expiry	j) беженец.

READING

Exercise 3. Read and translate the following text. Use the dictionary when necessary.

Customs Control in Russia

All goods moved across the customs border of the Russian Federation are subject to customs clearance and control.

Customs clearance and control of goods carried by individuals across the border of the Russian Federation involve the red and the green corridors. Corridors shall have proper marking in Russian and in English: “Nothing to Declare” for the green corridor, and “Goods to Declare” for the red corridor.

Passengers who have nothing to declare, or carry exclusively goods exempt from customs duties and taxes (i.e. exempt from export/import restrictions and bans) should take the green corridor. Passengers who carry goods subject to mandatory declaration (i.e. subject to customs duties, cost and quantity restrictions, etc.) should take the red corridor.

In order not to have problems with customs services while crossing the border of the Russian Federation it is necessary to know what and in what quantity can be taken with you in the trip. The maximum total cost of the goods imported by you should not exceed 1500 Euros, and their cumulative weight – 50 kg. For extra goods imported duties and taxes are paid on the rate at 30 % from customs cost but not less than 4 Euros per 1 kg of weight above permitted standard. Only 3 liters of alcoholic drinks (including beer), 200 pieces of cigarettes, 50 pieces of cigars, 250 grams tobacco can be brought free of charge.

It is possible to import at a time internal securities, currency of the Russian Federation, currency values and the traveller’s cheques which total cost is equal in an equivalent or less than 10,000 US dollars without written declaring into the Russian Federation.

If you constantly live outside the Russian Federation for the period of stay in Russia you can import all necessary subjects of the private use not intended for sale. The refugees, the compelled immigrants and also those who comes to Russia on a constant residence can import everything that had been acquired by them earlier without payment customs duties and taxes, without restriction of a total cost and weight, except for the car.

At departure from the territory of Russia the same rules operate concerning private use subjects as at import. But if there is a necessity to take out cultural values got during your stay in Russia it is necessary to be aware that: first of all, it is necessary to include the things bought into the declaration and to show their photo on border; secondly, the inquiry from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation is necessary that the things taken out are not on file of the state account. According to the Law “About Cultural Values Export and Import” cultural values are understood as the movable subjects of a material world located on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Assets on plastic cards require no declaration, regardless of whether the passenger is a resident or otherwise. Imports of the assets on plastic cards are subject to no restrictions.

A Customs Declaration shall be filled in by each individual aged 16+. Goods of individuals aged under 16 shall be declared by the accompanying parent, adoptive parent, foster parent or guardian, and for organized exit/entry and return trip of a group of underage individuals unaccompanied by any such parents, adoptive parents, foster parents or guardians – by the supervisor of any such group.

Foreign individuals may import goods (excepting, however, vehicles) for personal use in the Russian Federation during their stay in this country on a temporary basis, free of customs duties and taxes. To this effect, foreign individuals shall declare the said goods, take the Red Corridor and present the filled out declaration on their return trip. If the said goods are not removed from the customs territory of the Russian Federation upon the expiry of the established term, they shall be subject to customs duties and taxes in accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Exercise 4. Consult the text and find the English equivalents to the following word combinations.

1. подвергаться; 2. соответствующая разметка; 3. перевозить товары; 4. обязательное декларирование; 5. пересекать границу; 6. совокупный вес; 7. максимальная стоимость импортируемых товаров; 8. разрешенный стандарт; 9. личное пользование; 10. предназначаться для.

Exercise 5. Decide whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.

1. High-capacity goods moved across the customs border of the Russian Federation are subject to customs clearance and control. 2. Passengers who have nothing to declare, or carry exclusively goods exempt from customs duties and taxes should take the Red corridor. 3. It is obligatory to declare cultural values. 4. A Customs Declaration shall be filled in by each individual aged 18+. 5. Imports of the assets on plastic cards more than 10,000$ are subject to restrictions.

Exercise 6. Answer the following questions. Use the text when necessary.

1. What does customs clearance and control of goods involve? 2. What kind of passengers should follow the Red corridor? 3. What is the maximum cost cumulative weight of goods you can import without paying custom fees? 4. How much should you pay for extra goods? 5. What can the refugees, immigrants and those who come to Russia on a constant residence import? 6. What should you do if you want to export cultural values? 7. What assets on plastic cards require declaration? 8. Who declares goods of individuals aged under 16? 9. When can foreign individuals import goods free of custom duties and taxes? 10. Why is it necessary to know what and in what quantity can be taken with you in the trip?

Exercise 7. Give a short summary of the text.

Exercise 8. Now read and translate the text about the UK Customs Control. Use the dictionary when necessary.