Application of customs duties to the international trade between the EU and Russian Federation: lessons from the practice of recent WTO disputes

At present, the Russian Federation is the third most important trading partner for the European Union (EU) in terms of international trade in goods and the EU is the most important trading partner for the Russian Federation. In addition, starting from 2012, the Russian Federation is also a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), so its trade relations with the EU are also governed by the WTO law. Taking into account the fact that customs duties, especially trade defence duties, have a significant practical impact on the volume of international trade between the EU and the Russian Federation and on international trade business, this article discusses the legal issues of their application and possible solutions, based on the recent WTO trade dispute settlement practice.