DUSHANBE, January 21, 2012, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan plans to ask Russia for delivery of 604,000 tons of oil products free of tariffs.
Minister of Energy and Industries Gul Sehrali remarked this at a news conference in Dushanbe on January 20. According to him, this amount is stated the document specifying the indicative balance of Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan.
Russia has reportedly wanted countries that are not member nations of the Customs Union but import Russian oil product to submit such a document.
“A Tajik delegation will probably depart for Moscow within the next few days to discuss issues related to indicative balance of Russian oil product deliveries to Tajikistan,” the minister said.
We will recall that Tajikistan was exempted from paying Russian tariffs on oil and gas exports from 1995-2010. On May 1, 2010, Russia cancelled Tajikistan”s tax exemption and the Russian government has regulated the export duty on light oil since the beginning of this year. A sudden spike was reported in May 2011, when export duty for Russian gasoline rose 44 percent as compared with April.
By Russian government’s decree export duty on light oil was decreased from US$271.50 per ton to US$259.30 beginning on November 1, 2011. The export duty for gasoline was decreased from US$370.20 to US$353.70.
It is to be noted that it was the fourth decrease in export duty for Russian oil products this year. The first decrease in export duty for Russian oil products was reported on July 1 this year, when the export duty on light oil decreased from US$309.60 to US$298.20 per ton and the export duty for gasoline was decreased from US$415.80 to US$400.50, the second decrease was reported on August 1, when Russia decreased export duty on light oil from US$298.20 per ton to US$293.60 and the export duty for gasoline from US$400.50 to US$394.40, and the third decrease was reported on October 1, when Russia decreased export duty on light oil was from US$297.00 per ton to US$271.50 and the export duty for gasoline was decreased from US$399.00 to US$370.20.
In September, Russia, however, raised export duty on light oil is raised from US$293.60 per ton to US$297.50 and the export duty for gasoline from US$394.40 to US$399.70.
Russia now reportedly accounts for some 90 percent of Tajikistan’s fuel imports and an average gasoline price in Tajikistan has reportedly risen 59 percent since the beginning of this year.
