EEC extends for another two years duty-free import of components to produce fiber optics

MOSCOW. March 4 (Interfax) - The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has extended until February 28, 2026, inclusive, the zero rates for import customs duties on polyurethane and epoxy coatings used as protective covering for manufacturing fiber optics.

The EEC trade bloc has reported that it is preparing a similar decision regarding the duty-free import of optical glass rods used as preforms. The EEC Council has instructed the EEC Board to consider the issue promptly.

The EEC implemented a zero duty rate on importing epoxy resins and polyurethanes (Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) Foreign Economic Activity Commodity Nomenclature (FEACN) codes 3907 30 000 1 and 3909 50 900 1), as well as optical glass rods (preforms, EAEU FEACN code 7002 20 100 0) in April 2021. The decision was in force until the end of last year, and it was subsequently extended until February 29, 2024.

The decision on zero import duties on polyurethane and epoxy coatings will apply to legal relations arising from March 1, 2024. These products are used primarily on telecommunication networks at various levels, from intercontinental highways to home computer networks, the EEC said.

"The decision has been taken to ensure the output of competitive finished products on the territory of the union, as well as reduce the cost. This should create conditions for the long-term development of the fiber optic industry, including the creation of favorable conditions for investing in the project in terms of further modernizing capacity, localizing production, and increasing the range and volumes of goods produced," EEC Trade Minister Andrei Slepnev said in a statement about the commission's decision.