Customs and International Trade
Customs and International Trade is a complex practice where our lawyers have extensive experience supporting the projects that involve customs and trade law issues. We use our knowledge and experience in customs and international trade equally when working on projects in this practice, as we do in multi-disciplinary matters involving such issues as transactions, tax and currency regulation, criminal and administrative law, and litigation.
Much of our expertise on Customs and International Trade relates to trade remedies (anti-dumping measures specifically). We not only represent the interests of our foreign clients in trade remedies investigations in the Eurasian Economic Union, but also advise Russian clients in trade remedies investigations abroad.
Our well-established relationships with top law firms in all major jurisdictions around the world enable us to exchange experience with the best international lawyers and, if necessary, work as a single, one-stop-shop team to provide clients with the highest quality service.
Our lawyers are the members of working groups at the Russian Federal Customs Service, including, among others, an expert group on client-centric approach in the customs authorities’ activities and an expert group on customs register of intellectual property.
We are also actively involved in the relevant committees of various business associations such aw AEB, AmCham, CCI France Russie, ICC Russia, Russian-German Chamber of Commerce, CCPIT, and others) and have been recognized in numerous international and Russian ratings (Chambers, Legal500, Best Lawyers, and Pravo-300).
Our services
The practice offers comprehensive services in Customs and International Trade, including legal support in the following matters:
Import and export of products including contracts, customs classifications, declaration process, contract relations with customs brokers;
Export control and related sanctions advice;
On-site and off-site customs inspections;
Strategies for compliance with customs and trade remedies rules for assuring compliant and sustainable development of clients’ business;
Parallel import and customs related intellectual property issues;
Antidumping, anti-subsidies and countervailing investigations in the Eurasian Economic Union;
Trade remedies anti-circumvention;
Customs disputes related to customs evaluation, customs classification and trade remedies measures;
Administrative and criminal liability cases related to customs offences.
Includes advising on and representing the interests of:
One of the oldest European fashion houses
in the course of customs inspection regarding the customs value of goods at all stages of the inspection, including advising on market price levels and inclusion of dividends and royalties in the customs value. The project resulted in a more than 75% reduction in charges.
A major producer and exporter of oils
on a dispute involving export declaration of goods and application of different customs duty rates due to legislative changes, as well as the risks of customs inspection and the company’s legal position.
A Russian coal producer and exporter
on the issues concerning the application of flexible export duty rates that were introduced in Russia in 2023.
A Swiss manufacturer and its subsidiary in Russia
on the changes in prices of imported goods and changes to import declarations, as well as associated risks.
Major Chinese truck tire manufacturers
during the anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Eurasian Economic Commission, including supporting clients during sampling stage in order to calculate the anti-dumping margin, and also during work on anti-dumping questionnaires and on-spot verification in China. As a result, the rate of individual anti-dumping duties was reduced from 35.35% to 14.79%.
A major Chinese manufacturer of wheels
during the anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Eurasian Economic Commission. As a result, the client’s goods were excluded from subject merchandise and application of antidumping duty.
Major Chinese producers and exporters of melamine, as well as a major Russian manufacturer involved in imports
during the anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Eurasian Economic Commission. As a result, the rates of individual anti-dumping duties were significantly reduced and the EEC approved the price undertakings of the Chinese manufacturers.
Major European car manufacturer
during the anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Eurasian Economic Commission with respect to light commercial vehicles originating from Europe.
The Russian subsidiary of a Japanese glass manufacturer
during the anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Turkish Ministry of Economy.
A US-Japanese joint venture that manufactures fibre optics
on ways to circumvent anti-dumping duties in the Eurasian Economic Union.
Major US producer of children’s goods
in a dispute with the Baltic customs authority regarding a change in the VAT rate for imported goods due to changes in the trade import and export classification code by the customs authority. ALRUD worked out an effective defence strategy in the dispute, which resulted in a court overturning the customs authority’s decision, keeping the code declared by the client, and allowing the client to apply a reduced VAT rate.
A major global manufacturer of plant-based meat substitutes
in a dispute with the customs authorities due to their refusal to release goods into Russia. ALRUD successfully implemented its strategy and a court declared the customs authority’s decisions.
A luxury fashion brand
in an administrative case initiated by the customs authorities due to new rules for importing fur products into Russia. The effective strategy pursued by ALRUD lawyers resulted in the overturning of a lower court’s decision recognizing the incorrect labelling of the products imported by the client.
A wealthy client
as part of an administrative case and pre-investigation probe in a criminal case due to the customs authorities seizing a luxury item belonging to the client. Thanks to the ALRUD team’s effective actions, no criminal case was opened and the luxury item was returned to the client.
A meat importer
in a dispute with the customs authorities regarding the application of import VAT rate. ALRUD successfully implemented its strategy and proved that the client had the right to apply a reduced tax rate.
