The Federal Customs Service (FCS) of Russia has begun blocking the import of equipment filled with freon, including air conditioners and refrigerators. This innovation, which came into force on November 12, has led to delays at the border and a possible shortage of household appliances. The reason was a new procedure requiring suppliers to obtain licenses for the import of equipment with R-410 freon, which is used in household air conditioners and refrigerators, Kommersant reports.
As explained by Igor Prudnikov, General Director of the Eurasian Association of the Heating Systems Market, this requirement of the Ministry of Industry and Trade has stopped the supply of climate equipment. According to him, the blocking affected all countries, including the CIS. The delay in goods may lead to losses of 200 to 300 million rubles.
The Ministry of Natural Resources claims that it did not introduce new restrictions on imports, and the decree regulating the handling of ozone-depleting substances was approved back in 2016. According to the ministry, the issuance of licenses was provided for earlier, and from October 1 to December 2, 27 licenses were issued.
However, this requirement came as a surprise to many suppliers. Until now, licenses were only required for single substances; they were not required for equipment with R-410 freon. As a result, delays of goods at the border with China and in Russian ports may amount to 300-400 containers, the cost of which is about 2 billion rubles.
Experts note that if the situation is not resolved, this will lead to an increase in prices for household appliances, since suppliers will be forced to pass on all additional costs to end consumers.