Moscow, October 28: Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that customs duties on goods imported into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have been fully eliminated for 32 African countries.
Speaking at a meeting with representatives of major African regional organizations, Putin said exporters from 47 African countries benefit from tariff preferences when their goods enter EAEU markets.
"These benefits are available to 47 countries on the continent, and for 32 of them, customs duties have been completely eliminated," he said.
In the meeting, Putin met with leaders and delegates from various African regional bodies, who were present to discuss the broadened trade framework and its implications for African exporters.
The EAEU, formed in 2015, groups Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. The union’s charter aims to modernize and enhance the competitiveness of member economies, strengthen cooperation, and foster stable development to improve living standards within the member states.
By eliminating customs duties for a substantial portion of Africa, the EAEU seeks to deepen trade ties, reflecting the strategic effort to broaden its market access and attract African goods to its member economies.
Under the new tariff preference framework, 47 African nations receive various forms of duty relief when exporting to the EAEU. Of these, 32 now enjoy complete duty elimination, meaning that goods from these countries are imported into EAEU member states without any customs duties imposed by the union.
This policy shift is part of the EAEU’s broader strategy to integrate its economy with key global regions, enhance export competitiveness, and diversify its trade partnerships.
The announcement also highlighted that the EAEU’s trade policy is designed to accommodate diverse economic partners, ensuring that African exporters have greater ease and cost efficiency when entering the Eurasian market.
The move underscores a renewed focus on developing deeper economic relations between the EAEU and the African continent, with the aim of extending mutual economic benefits and supporting growth on both sides.
