Author Archives: CrispConsulting

Russia to cut duty on apple and pear imports

Written by

RUSSIA will reduce import duties on apples and pears by nearly half after joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), and then cut them in half again by 2017. The import duty on pears will be reduced by half by 2015, according to Interfax, citing a document outlining Russia’s obligations upon accession to the WTO.

The current duty on apples imported from 1 January to 30 June is EUR0.10 pr kilo. Once Russia joins the WTO, which is expected to happen by the middle of 2012, the duty will drop to six euro cents/kg and by 2017 it is scheduled to decrease to three cents/kg (and to one and a half cents for apples imported from 1 April to 30 July). The duty on apple imports from 1 August to 31 December is currently EUR0.20/kg, depending on the type of product, and this will drop to six euro cents and then three euro cents per kilo by 2017.

Source: www.agra-net.com, www.interfax.com

Potential ban on Tajik fruit and vegetables will not cause deficit

Written by

Russian Phytosanitary Monitoring Service is seriously concerned by systematic damage of Russian and international phytosanitary requirements by fruit and vegetable exporters from Tajikistan. Rosselkhoznadzor applied to Phytosanitary Inspection of Tajikistan Ministry of Agriculture against such violations.

However, the share of Tajikistan in the structure of Russian fruit and vegetables import is not big enough to threaten the market. In 2010 it was only 1.8% and 2.1% of fruit and vegetables import respectively.

Russia’s total fruit import in 2010 reached USD 5.49 bln. Import from Tajikistan amounted to USD 99.02 mln. Vegetables import reached USD 2.28 bln, from Tajikistan – USD 48.8 mln.

Source: www.fruitnews.ru

Russia promised ‘to lower citrus import duties’

Written by

According to a document seen by Interfax, Russia could be set to lower the import duty on citrus products within a year of its accession to the WTO. Duties will also be lowered on mandarin oranges, lemons and limes, the document suggested.

Import duties on oranges and grapefruits, which currently stand at 5 per cent, €0.02 per kg, will be maintained until Russia joins the WTO. However, in 2013 the import duty on oranges will drop to 5 per cent but no lower than €0.017 per kg, while on grapefruits it will fall to 5 per cent but no lower than €0.015 per kg.

Between January and September this year, Russia’s citrus imports grew from 873,000 tonnes at US$730.7m to 1m tonnes at US$979.3m.

However, import duties on bananas and grapes will not change, the document said. It will be kept at its current level of 5%.

Source: www.fruitnet.com, www.freshplaza.com

French hypermarket chain Auchan opens in Tyumen

Written by

Widely known French retail chain became an anchor tenant with 20 000 sq.m in the largest shopping and entertaining center in Tyumen. This will be the first Auchan hypermarket to be opened in Tyumen in 2012.

The new shopping and entertaining center is situated in the growing residential district in the south of Tyumen. The total area of the building is 100 000 sq.m with a GLA of 75 000 sq.m. The open parking area will have 3 000 parking lots. The shopping center will also have DIY, sportswear and electronic goods, fashion gallery, entertainment zone with multi-screen theater, food-court and restaurants. It will be the largest shopping and entertaining center to be built in Tyumen. The grand opening is planned for the 4th quarter 2012.

Source: www.freshplaza.com

JFC Loses New Action Against Norwegian reefer operator

Written by

A U.K. court says Russia’s largest fruit importer JFC Group must disclose all its worldwide assets after the company failed to pay $16.5 million in damages to Norwegian shipowner Star Reefers.

In August the High Court in London awarded the refrigerated cargo ship operator damages and costs against charter party guarantor JFC, following the unlawful early redelivery of three ships and wrongful termination of charters by JFC’s chartering arm Kalistad.

After JFC failed to pay the damages or appeal the judgment was considered “final.”

With JFC’s ongoing failure to pay, a Commercial Court judge last week ordered the St. Petersburg-based company to disclose to Star Reefers all worldwide assets exceeding $25,000. It must also disclose any transactions between JFC and its associated companies in the last year in excess of $25,000.

Source: www.joc.com

Moscow Retail Overview

Written by

Mosgorstat (Moscow City Statistics Service) has published the data regarding Q1, Q2 and Q3 of  2011 compared with the same period in 2010.

The retail trade volume in Q1-Q3 2011 amounted to RUB 2,356.8 bln, 5.8% more than in 2010. The food items sales volume, including beverages and tobacco, grew by 4.2%. Food-items, beverages and tobacco accounted for 51% of the retail turnover. Retailers’ turnover grew by 7.2% y-o-y.

Source: www.retail.ru

Azbuka Vkusa to expand retail chain up to 50 stores

Written by

Azbuka Vkusa is planning to expand the retail chain of premium-class supermarkets up to 50 stores till April  2012. In the financial year 2011 the company is planning to open 10 new stores, 3 of them have already been put into operation.  At the moment the chain includes 43 stores.

The opening of one store requires about USD 4 mln investment. In 2010 the company’s net profit grew fourfold to RUB 978.8 mln from RUB 237.9 mln in 2009.

Source: www.retail.ru

Russian government seen decreasing import duties under WTO deal

Written by

The Russian government has agreed to decrease its average import duties on agricultural and industrial products as part of Russia’s membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Specifically, average import duties on agricultural products are expected to be lowered to 10.8% from the current 13.2%, the WTO said.

Roughly 33% of newly set import duties are expected to come into effect when Russia joins the WTO, while about 25% are to be lowered in the next three years.

Source: www.prime-tass.com

Russian retail may face another merger soon

Written by

The German Metro Group has put on hold negotiations on sale of Real hypermarkets chain, but may resume them after resignation of its Head Eckhard Cordes. Among the companies interested in acquisition of Metro active assets, including 16 stores in Russia, is the French Auchan, running 46 hypermarkets in Russia.

As per Financial Times Deutschland (FTD) Metro Group has put on hold sale of the Real chain (424 stores in Germany, Poland, Russia etc.). Metro confirmed that at the moment there are no active negotiations.ail

Source: www.retail.ru

Auchan to open 5 new hypermarkets in 2012

Written by

The French retailer Auchan, Russia’s 3rd largest food retail operator in terms of sales volume, is planning to open 5 new hypermarkets in 2012. As per Interfax news agency, they will appear in Ulyanovsk, Volgograd, Ryazan, Tyumen and Nizhniy Novgorod. The total estimated investment volume in the chain development amounts to 4.5 billion roubles.

In October 2011 Auchan opened new stores in Kazan and Ufa. By the end of 2011 the company is planning to open new hypermarkets in Novosibirsk, Samara and Chelyabinsk. As of Q3 2011 the company is running 30 Auchan hypermarkets and 14 Auchan City stores. The company is also developing a chain of supermarkets Atak, which now includes 50 stores.

Source: www.retail.ru