Russia to set customs rate for cement exports at zero

The Russian government has decided to set the customs rate for cement export at zero. The regulation was signed on October 12 by Russian Premier Vladimir Putin, RIA Novosti reports. The document will come into force a month after the signing.

Russian cement manufacturers have been striving for lifting of customs duties since 2009. The manufacturers cited the undercapacity of cement factories due to the global financial crisis as the motivation for their request . The manufacturers hoped that lifting the customs duties would increase cement exports to EU countries. Russian cement manufacturers are using CIS countries, mainly Azerbaijan, for production.