Courtesy of the State Department of USA

QUALITY AND SAFETY CERTIFICATION FOR RUSSIA AND KAZAKHSTAN

November 2001

Authors Bill Oglsbee and Jeff Rushing, Moody International, Houston, Texas

Sent by BISNIS, U.S. Department of Commerce
Anyone considering exporting to Russia, Kazakhstan or any of the other C.I.S. countries should be aware of the current licensing, permitting and certification requirements. Russia is used below as the example, but many of the requirements for the other countries are similar.

Virtually all goods entering Russia today must be accompanied by a Gosstandart Certificate of Conformity during the customs clearance procedure. Most industrial equipment must also have a Gosgortekhnadzor Permit and a Technical Passport before it can be commissioned and started in the country. Russian Customs has been inconsistent about requiring the Gosgortekhnadzor Permit prior to entry into Russia, and it is in the best interests of the U.S. exporter to communicate with his or her consignee on the timing for obtaining this Permit. A Gosenergonadzor Permit may be required in some cases depending upon the type of equipment. Hazardous equipment and equipment with explosion proof characteristics are normally always under Gosenergonadzor's jurisdiction. Engineering and construction contractors working on projects for Russia are required to obtain a Gosgortekhnadzor License and / or a Gosstroi License.

Gosstandart Certificates of Conformity:
Despite recent rumors, Russian customs continues to require these certificates prior to allowing goods into Russia. The certificate indicates that the material listed on them has been inspected and either meets or exceeds Russian standards. Russian Gosstandart Certificates of conformity are commonly used to import material into Kazakhstan and the other C.I.S. because of an agreement between the customs agencies of these countries.

An individual certificate may contain an unlimited number of items as long as the first four digits of the Harmonized System code number are the same for each item. If more than one HS code number is applied to the shipment addition certificates will be required for each new number. The certificates are valid for one shipment within one year from the date of issue.

Gosgortekhnadzor Permit:
Both Russia and Kazakhstan have permitting requirements and separate permits are required for each country. Permits are required to operate equipment in the country and they are valid for three years. Equipment listed on the permit, which is installed during the validity period, may operate indefinitely. A Gosgortekhnadzor inspector reviews the permit before the operator is given permission to use the equipment. Third party quality certification or licensing such as ISO 9000, API, ASME, etc. will facilitate the process of obtaining the permit. The permit has nothing to do with customs clearance and should not be confused with the certificate referenced above.

Technical Passports:
Passports have no specific validity period, but they are usually specific to a project. Technical Passports are required for all equipment that is covered by a Gosgortekhnadzor permit. The passport is a compilation of technical information that has been analyzed, translated, formatted and compiled according to Russian or Kazakh regulations. Passport regulations are defined in specific standards and their contents are regulated by law. Selected source documentation from the manufacture must also be translated and included in the appendix section of the passport. The purpose of this set of documents is to provide repair, operation and maintenance information to the Russian field personnel who will operate the equipment. It also provides important traceability information on the equipment.

Gosenergonadzor Certificates:
Gosenergonadzor has recently been required more and more for explosion-proof and other hazardous equipment. Gosenergondazor certification is often a pre-requisite for obtaining a Gosgortekhnadzor Permit.

Gosgortekhnadzor / Gosstroi Licenses:
Licenses are required for industrial activities such as engineering and constructions and they are a pre-requisite to obtaining a Gosgortekhnadzor Permit. Either one or both may be applicable depending upon the type of activity being performed. Gosstroi Licenses are required exclusively for construction projects.

Moody International continually monitors the developments within Russia and Kazakhstan and can give updates on any new certification requirements upon request.