Importing Steel from China to Russia: EAEU Duties, VAT and EAC Certification
Verified 2026-10-30 against official Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) and Russian Federal Customs Service sources. Russia has no free trade agreement with China — the EAEU Common Customs Tariff applies, at mostly 5% on flat steel — plus 20% VAT. The real entry requirements are EAC conformity and documentary discipline, not the tariff itself.
Import duty under the EAEU Common Customs Tariff
| EAEU TN VED heading | Product group | Import duty | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7208 | Hot-rolled flat, non-alloy (HRC, plate) | 5% | Standard EAEU rate; confirm the exact 10-digit TN VED line |
| 7209 | Cold-rolled flat | 5% | — |
| 7210 / 7212 | Coated flat (galvanised, prepainted) | 5% | — |
| 7213–7216 | Bars, rods, wire rod, sections | 5–10% | By line |
| 7225 / 7226 | Alloy flat — wear plate NM300–NM600, high-strength BS/Q grades, silicon steel | 0–5% by line | Where NM / high-strength plate is typically classified; several lines at 5% |
| 7304 / 7306 | Tubes and pipes | 5–10% | Anti-dumping applies to specific Chinese pipe products (see below) |
| 7308 | Steel structures | 5–10% | By line |
Sources: EAEU Common Customs Tariff (EEC Council decisions, as amended); Russian Federal Customs Service (FCS) tariff lookup; WTO Tariff Download Facility. There is no FTA between China and the EAEU: the 2018 China–EAEU trade and economic cooperation agreement is non-preferential, so no tariff preference exists for Chinese steel — the MFN common tariff is the final rate.
Trade remedies affecting Chinese steel
No anti-dumping or safeguard measures apply to Chinese flat steel or plate as of our 2026-10-30 verification. EAEU trade-remedy activity against Chinese steel is concentrated on pipes:
| Measure | Scope | Rate | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-dumping on seamless OCTG (oil country tubular goods) from China | Seamless casing and tubing | 12.23% – 31.0% of customs value by producer | Extended by the EEC until 2031-10-05 following a repeated investigation initiated 2025-12-22 |
| Anti-dumping on welded pipes, tubes and hollow sections of corrosion-resistant (stainless) steel from China | Stainless welded pipe and hollow sections | 14.62% – 17.28% by producer | Extended by the EEC Board until 2026-11-12 during the repeated investigation opened 2025-11-13 (original Decision No. 12 of 9 Feb 2021) |
What this means for wear plate and high-strength plate buyers: NM400–NM500 wear plate and QT high-strength plate (7225/7226) face no anti-dumping in Russia — the tariff burden is just the 5% duty. The practical friction points are EAC conformity documentation and payment logistics, covered below.
The full landed-cost cascade
| Charge | Typical level | Base |
|---|---|---|
| Import duty (EAEU common tariff) | 5% (0–5% by line) | customs value |
| VAT | 20% | customs value + duty |
| Customs clearance fee | RUB 1,065–30,000 flat by declared-value band | per declaration |
| Customs broker / terminal | agreed fee | per shipment |
Worked example at 2026 rates: flat steel at US$600/t CIF pays 5% duty (US$30/t) and 20% VAT on the duty-paid value — a landed figure of ≈ US$756/t before local delivery. VAT-registered Russian importers recover the 20% VAT as input credit, so the net border burden on compliant trade is the 5% duty plus fees.
EAC conformity and documentation that matters
- EAC conformity is the mandatory market-access document for the EAEU (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan). For steel, the applicable technical regulation depends on end use: pipes and pressure equipment fall under TR CU 032/2013; structural and construction steel is certified against the relevant EAEU technical regulations with GOST standards as the test basis. Validity is typically 1, 3 or 5 years.
- 2026 tightening: certificates must be issued by bodies accredited in the EAEU, the certificate holder must be a legal entity registered in the EAEU (your Russian importer or an authorised representative), and products must carry the EAC mark with the FGIS traceability QR code.
- Mill test certificate (MTC) per heat: Russian buyers and certification bodies expect the original MTC with GOST-compliant test protocols (chemistry, mechanical properties).
- Commercial invoice, packing list, BL/CMR consistent across documents — Russian customs applies reference-price scrutiny to steel.
- Wood packaging ISPM 15 stamping enforced.
Official sources for this page
- Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) — EAEU Common Customs Tariff and trade-remedy decisions (eec.eaeunion.org)
- Federal Customs Service of Russia (FCS) — TN VED tariff lookup and import procedures (customs.ru)
- WTO Tariff Download Facility — applied MFN rates
EEC decision references for each row are maintained with our Russian customs partner; portal links let you re-verify every figure at the source.
Change log — what moved, and when
| Date | Change (source: EEC / FCS) |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-30 | Page published. Rates verified against the EAEU Common Customs Tariff and FCS schedule: 5% on most flat steel, 20% VAT, no trade-remedy measures on Chinese flat steel or plate. |
| 2026-10-08 | EEC extended anti-dumping on seamless OCTG from China (12.23–31.0% by producer) until 2031-10-05 after a repeated investigation. |
| 2026-01-20 | EEC Board extended anti-dumping on welded stainless pipes and hollow sections from China (14.62–17.28%) until 2026-11-12 during the repeated investigation opened 2025-11-13. |
Russia steel tariff FAQ
Is there a China–Russia or China–EAEU free trade agreement?
No. The 2018 China–EAEU trade and economic cooperation agreement is non-preferential — it contains no tariff reductions. Chinese steel always pays the full EAEU Common Customs Tariff (MFN) rate; there is no certificate of origin that lowers the duty.
What does a wear plate shipment to Russia actually pay?
NM-class wear plate (7225) normally pays the 5% duty plus 20% VAT on the duty-paid value. At a US$600/t CIF price that is US$30/t duty and about US$126/t VAT — ≈ US$756/t before delivery. There is no anti-dumping on Chinese plate. Registered importers recover the VAT, so the net burden is the duty and fees.
Is EAC certification mandatory for steel plate?
EAC conformity is mandatory for products covered by EAEU technical regulations. Flat steel for general industrial use is typically documented through a Declaration of Conformity against GOST-based technical standards; pipes and pressure equipment fall under TR CU 032/2013, which is stricter. In practice your Russian importer or certification partner files the document — we supply the MTC, GOST-format test protocols and mill documentation the filing requires.
Are payments and logistics workable for China–Russia steel trade?
Yes, with discipline: settlement is typically in CNY or RUB through banks that handle Russia trade, and both parties must screen the transaction against applicable sanctions and export-control lists — standard steel grades for civilian use are generally tradable, but documentation must be consistent. We work with the buyer's compliance team on incoterms (FCA/CPT/DAP), and rail via Kazakhstan or sea via Vladivostok and St Petersburg are the usual routings.
Fontes e verificação
- 1Eurasian Economic Commission — EAEU Common Customs Tariff and trade-remedy decisions
- 2Federal Customs Service of Russia — TN VED tariff lookup
- 3WTO Tariff Download Facility
Os dados desta página foram verificados em 2026-10-30 junto às fontes oficiais listadas abaixo. Os dados são revisados e reverificados mensalmente; as datas de cada revisão constam nesta página.
