It will no longer be possible to bring alcohol from Russia after July 10
The entry into force of the sixth package of EU sanctions means that private individuals can no longer bring alcohol or many other goods from Russia to Estonia from July 10.
Starting from July 10, it will be prohibited to import into Estonia or hand over goods from Russia the sale of which generates considerable revenue and allows Russia to continue its armed aggression and conquest in Ukraine, spokespeople for the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) said on Monday.
Special attention needs to paid to alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of under 80 percent, such as vodka, gin, liqueur, wine, beer and other light alcoholic beverages. In addition to alcohol, it will be prohibited to import furniture, wood, wood products, fertilizers and a number of other goods individuals currently bring from Russia on a daily basis, the MTA press release reads.
"It is very important to emphasize that these restrictions also apply to ordinary passengers. In other words, while individuals were permitted to bring into Estonia tax free a liter of strong alcohol and 125 grams of caviar, this will no longer be possible from July 10. It will also be impossible to import wooden doors from the construction store in Pskov," Eerik Heldna, head of the MTA customs department, warned.
He said that violating sanctions is a crime in the administrative area of the Estonian Internal Security Service (ISS) and the tax board, should the prosecution so decide, with justice administered by the courts.
"Depending on the nature of the offense, criminal proceedings will not be brought in the case of first-time and unintentional violations. Restrictions are also in place for exports to Russia. For example, an attempt to move to Russia consumer electronics, considered a luxury commodity, worth in excess of €750 is doomed to fail and the person will be turned back from the border. Consequences depend in each case on the circumstances, the type and value of goods involved and to what extent the person was aware of sanctions or had the obligation to be. But I urge people to take this matter seriously and carefully check what they buy from Russia to avoid problems," Heldna said via a press release.
The complete list of commodity codes and goods under sanctions can be found on the MTA website.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
