Kazakhstan does not want to reduce the threshold of duty-free import of international shipments from 1000 to 150 euros

Kazakhstan does not want to lower the threshold of duty-free import of international shipments from 1000 to 150 euros, as Russia is going to do.

“Last week I was in Kazakhstan, where I met with the leadership of the local post office, which includes representatives of the cabinet ministers. They are categorically against lowering the threshold primarily because their mail has become profitable many years later, ”said Alexander Ivanov, president of the National Distant Trade Association, told RBC daily. “Since the mid-2000s, here, like us, the flow of parcels from foreign online stores has significantly increased, and therefore the cost of processing mail has plummeted.” According to Mr. Ivanov, Kazakhstan will not block this channel of income.

Given that China (one of the giants of online commerce) has a common border with Kazakhstan, this is a reasonable way around the restrictions.
One air channel may not be enough. The number of flights to Kazakhstan is significantly less than to Russia (Moscow).
One thing is not clear: what levers of pressure on Kazakhstan is Russia?
Will they be able to force them to sign the law (within the CU) or compensate for something possible to come from such a scheme.


And no matter what they say, reducing the threshold is a fight against smuggling

“We decide to lower the import threshold, based on compelling arguments - commercial lots are imported under the guise of goods for personal use.

Obviously, this is another stream of budget revenues.
As well as lobbying the interests of local sellers who cannot compete in price with foreign sellers.

PS As they told me: in Belarus, the de facto duty-free threshold is now already $ 150 despite the membership in the CU. Can someone confirm / deny?