03.11.2026 Regulation #Russia #EAEU #Export #Bans

Russia to ban benzene, toluene, o-/p-xylene and phenol exports for 3 months

The Russian Government has signed Decree No. 1443 of 31 October 2026, which bans exports of six petrochemical products for three months. The decree takes effect the day after its official publication; according to TKS.RU, publication is expected shortly, so the exact start date of the ban is not yet set.

Products covered

The ban applies to six EAEU TN VED subheadings:

2707 10 900 0 (2707) — benzene for other purposes;
2902 20 000 0 (2902) — benzene;
2902 30 000 0 — toluene;
2902 41 000 0 — o-xylene;
2902 43 000 0 — p-xylene;
2907 11 000 0 (2907) — phenol (hydroxybenzene) and its salts.

The Government's statement describes the goods as coal-tar and petroleum benzene, toluene, orthoxylene, paraxylene and phenol. The ban lasts three months from the date the decree takes effect.

Scope and exemptions

The ban covers exports from Russia to destinations outside the EAEU, so shipments to Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are not affected. Paragraph 2 of the decree exempts:

international transit that begins and ends outside Russia;
movement between parts of Russian territory through foreign states;
supplies to Russian military units abroad and to Russian organisations on Svalbard and in Baikonur and the Baikonur complex;
exports under licences and lists of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Industry and Trade under intergovernmental defence-industry cooperation agreements, or under permits of the Export Control Commission;
goods placed under export customs procedures before the decree takes effect that have been accepted by Russian Railways for carriage or for which a loading order for a sea vessel has been issued.

The Government's statement also lists international humanitarian aid among the exemptions, but the text of the decree contains no such provision.

Essential-goods list, EEC notification and the Government's reasoning

Paragraph 3 adds the same six codes, after item 2616, to the list of goods essential for the domestic market (Government Decree No. 877 of 15 December 2007). The Ministry of Economic Development must notify the Eurasian Economic Commission of the ban.

The Government says the measure is meant to ensure stable raw-material supplies to Russian industry and names these end uses: paints and coatings for automotive, aircraft, shipbuilding and railway engineering; food packaging; floor coverings; insulation for cable products; and the medical industry. The statement gives no data on export volumes, prices or shortages.

What this means for exporters and traders

In practical terms:

the HS codes in contracts and declarations should be checked against the six lines above;
goods already in transit fall under the exemption only if, before the decree takes effect, they were placed under a customs procedure allowing export and accepted by Russian Railways for carriage or covered by a vessel loading order;
the start of the ban depends on the date of official publication, since the decree takes effect on the following day.

Primary sources

Mentioned codes

2707 2902 2907

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.