OREANDA-NEWS  On 10 December was announced, that Belarus plans to extend in 2009 the zero-rated import duty on imported production equipment.

Belarus imposed a temporary nine-month zero-rated duty on imports of production equipment on January 28. At present customs duties are collected following the procedure approved by presidential ordinance #699 dated December 31, 2007.

The zero-rated duty applies to equipment worth at least U.S. USD 20,000 per unit and produced after 2002.

It is planned that the zero-rated duty will apply to pressing tools, central heating boilers, gas plants, turbines, compressors for refrigerating equipment, building cranes, textile and sewing equipment, pipe mills, and railway cars.

Belarus introduced the zero-rated import duty for the first time in 2005.