A meeting of the Public Advisory Council under the Vitebsk Customs took place

To familiarize representatives of the business community with changes in regulatory legal acts and to discuss emerging problematic issues, the second meeting of the Public Advisory Council under the Vitebsk Customs (hereinafter referred to as the PAC) was held this year on July 23, 2025.

Representatives of the Vitebsk Customs, local executive authorities, public associations, state organizations, the chairman of the Republican Union of Customs Relations Participants (hereinafter referred to as the RUCRP), as well as 14 representatives of the largest enterprises and organizations of the Vitebsk region engaged in foreign economic activities, international freight transportation, logistics, and customs affairs, took part in the PAC meeting.

The meeting addressed current issues of confirming the country of origin of goods within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and its member states, on the one hand, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, on the other hand, which entered into force on May 15, 2025. This agreement serves as the basis for liberalizing and simplifying trade in goods between the participating countries, granting them preferential treatment, including exemption from or reduction of import customs duties on goods.

Furthermore, during the meeting, the requirements for structures, premises (parts of premises), and/or open areas (parts of open areas) where temporary storage of goods, completion of the customs transit procedure, and/or customs control will be carried out, as well as for vehicles and employees of a legal entity applying for inclusion in the register of authorized economic operators, approved by Decision of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 131 of October 3, 2017, were considered.

Participants of the meeting were informed about the activities of the RSUTO in 2024-2025 on the platforms of the Public Advisory Council under the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Belarus, the Eurasian Economic Commission, the Council for the Development of Entrepreneurship, the Advisory Council under the Ministry of Taxes and Duties of the Republic of Belarus, as well as the International Union of Business Associations in Foreign Economic Activity.

In conclusion, participants of the meeting asked representatives of the customs service and the chairman of the RSUTO questions of interest, exhaustive answers to which were provided during the meeting.

The Public Advisory Council is a favorable platform for discussing draft normative legal acts, as well as problematic issues that may significantly affect the conditions for carrying out entrepreneurial activities.