Customs Law and Foreign Economic Activity
Customs Law and Foreign Economic Activity is a cross-cutting practice whose specialists have extensive experience supporting projects that involve the application of customs and trade law. We use our knowledge and experience in customs law and foreign economic activity equally when working on projects in this practice, as we do in complex projects involving such issues as transaction structuring, tax and currency regulation, criminal and administrative law, and litigation.
Much of our expertise on Customs Law and Foreign Economic Activity is related to trade protection measures (anti-dumping measures specifically). We not only represent the interests of our foreign clients in trade investigations in the Eurasian Economic Union, but also advise Russian clients in trade 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, close-knit team to provide clients with the highest quality service.
Our employees include members of working groups at the Russian Federal Customs Service, including an expert group that works to ensure a client-centric approach in the customs authorities’ activities and maintains a customs register of intellectual property, among other things.
ALRUD specialists are actively involved in the activities of various business associations (the 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 Law and Foreign Economic Activity, including the following core services:
Support for a wide range of key commercial and customs issues involving the import and export of goods
Advising on export control and sanctions restrictions
Support for customs inspections
Preparation of strategies to minimize customs risks and risks associated with measures to protect domestic markets in an effort to ensure the sustainable development of the client’s business
Advising on parallel imports and other intellectual property-related customs issues
Support for anti-dumping, protective, and compensatory investigations in the Eurasian Economic Union and other countries
Support for customs disputes
Support for administrative and criminal cases concerning customs legal relations
Includes advising on and representing the interests of:
One of the oldest European fashion houses
during a customs inspection regarding the customs value of goods at all stages of the inspection, including advising on market price levels and the 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 the export declaration of goods due to changes in legislation and the application of different customs duty rates, as well as the risks of a customs inspection and the company’s legal position.
A Russian coal producer and exporter
on issues concerning the application of flexible export duties that were introduced in Russia in 2023.
A Swiss manufacturer and its subsidiary in Russia
on changes in the price of imported goods and changes to import declarations, as well as associated risks.
A major Chinese manufacturer of wheel rims
as part of an anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Eurasian Economic Commission. As a result, the client’s goods were excluded from the anti-dumping duty.
Major Chinese producers and exporters of melamine, as well as a major Russian manufacturer involved in imports
as part of an 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 commitments of the Chinese manufacturers.
A major European car manufacturer
as part of an 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 as part of an anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Turkish Ministry of Economy.
Major Chinese truck tire manufacturers
as part of an anti-dumping investigation initiated by the Eurasian Economic Commission, including supporting clients during the selection stage in order to calculate the anti-dumping margin, and also during work on anti-dumping questionnaires and as part of a follow-up visit to China. As a result, the rate of individual anti-dumping duties was reduced from 35.35% to 14.79%. A US-Japanese joint venture that manufactures fibre optics on ways to circumvent anti-dumping duties in the Eurasian Economic Union.
A 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 decision of the customs authority. ALURD 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 illegal.
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 the import VAT rate. ALRUD successfully implemented its strategy and proved that the client had the right to apply a reduced tax rate.
