Russian Federal Audit Office Proposes 5% Import Tariff on E-Cigarettes

According to a report by Govoritmoskva, a Russian news outlet, the Russian Federal Audit Chamber has proposed imposing a 5% import duty on e-cigarette devices. This recommendation was outlined in their conclusions on the draft federal budget for the years 2024-2026.

Lawmaker Sultan Khamzaev provided an explanation behind this proposal. He stated that it is merely a measure to regulate the market of such products. He emphasized that the current price standard of 150-200 rubles for e-cigarette devices that are harmful to health is extremely low, and he even advocated for a complete ban on their sale.

Hamsayev suggests, "I believe that tax rates may eventually be increased to 30-40%. Our objective is to make e-cigarette devices less readily available. Currently, we have witnessed the destructive impacts of these devices, starting from explosions to our incomplete understanding of the specific chemical ingredients they contain. I support a complete ban altogether.

The conclusion of the Russian Federation Audit Chamber states that if the import volume remains at last year's level, the import tariffs on e-cigarettes and accessory products could bring an additional 1.5 billion rubles to the budget.