08.08.2026 Regulation #EAEU #Import #Duties #Quotas
EEC approves tariff relief package for titanium, farm machinery and EVs
The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) approved a package of three tariff decisions on August 7, 2026: it zeroed import duties on raw materials for the titanium industry, exempted beet-harvesting machinery imports to Belarus and Russia from duty, and granted Armenia an additional quota for duty-free electric vehicle imports (Alta-Soft, titanium; Alta-Soft, machinery; Alta-Soft, Armenia EV quota).
Cheaper feedstock for the titanium industry
The import duty on titanium oxide (TN VED code 2823 00 000 0), used as an alloying additive for ferrous and non-ferrous metals, was set at zero for two years (Interfax; Alta-Soft). The relief is a comeback rather than a novelty: an identical zero rate was already in force from March 24, 2024 to February 28, 2026, and the Council has now renewed it after a gap (Interfax).
The Council also introduced a benefit for importing vanadium-aluminum master alloy (code 8112 92 910 1) into Kazakhstan — a feedstock for producing titanium ingots, alloys and slabs. The quota is capped at 450 tonnes a year and runs from the decision's entry into force through July 31, 2028 (Alta-Soft).
EEC Trade Minister Andrei Slepnev said the measures "are aimed primarily at reducing the cost of titanium ingots by cutting expenses on imported raw materials, as well as boosting the competitiveness of EAEU titanium products on the global market" (Alta-Soft).
Duty-free beet harvesters for Belarus and Russia
Beet- and top-harvesting machines (code 8433 53 300 0) are now exempt from import duty: up to 15 units for Belarus and up to 155 units for Russia (Alta-Soft). The EEC justified the decision by noting that operating costs for five-to-ten-year-old machinery run 1.5 to 2 times higher than for new equipment, so fleet renewal cuts costs for farmers (Alta-Soft).
An extra EV quota for Armenia
Armenia received an additional quota for duty-free imports of 5,000 electric vehicles in 2026 (codes 8703 80 000 3 and 8703 80 000 5) (Alta-Soft). Only individuals permanently residing in Armenia may import cars at the zero rate, and transferring such vehicles to citizens or residents of Kazakhstan and Russia is prohibited (Alta-Soft).
It is not the first such benefit: at the end of 2025 Belarus already received a quota for 20,000 electric vehicles, while Armenia and Kyrgyzstan each got 15,000 (Alta-Soft).
Who qualifies, and from when the exemptions apply
For metallurgical companies and titanium producers, the package lowers feedstock costs: the duty on titanium oxide has been zeroed, and the master-alloy benefit is available to Kazakhstan-based plants producing titanium ingots, alloys and slabs. The EEC's announcements do not specify an exact effective date for either of these two decisions. The machinery decision states a timeline explicitly: the exemption for code 8433 in Belarus and Russia takes effect 10 calendar days after official publication (Alta-Soft). For EV dealers serving Armenia, the quota runs through 2026 and requires verifying the buyer's residency status, since only Armenian residents may import a car duty-free (Alta-Soft).
Primary sources
- ЕЭК ввела тарифные льготы на ввоз сырья для титановой продукции
- ЕЭК освободила от пошлин ввоз свеклоуборочной техники для Беларуси и России
- Армения получила дополнительную квоту на беспошлинный ввоз 5 тыс. электромобилей
- ЕЭК снова обнулила пошлину на ввоз оксида титана
Mentioned codes
This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.