The ceremony to award the Union State product labeling took place as part of the 13th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia in Minsk on 26 June, BelTA has learned.
The first products of the Union State to receive this status were the Belarus-made MAZ-305E20 bus and the BelAZ-7513ED mining dump truck.
BelAZ Director General Sergei Lesin explained that the BelAZ-7513ED is a mining dump truck with a payload capacity of 136 tonnes. “It is the flagship of our enterprise. The major sales volumes come from these dump trucks. We lead the global market in this segment, 130 tonnes, with a share of 60% to 70%. And why were we among the first to receive the Union State product status? Because we meet the criteria. The Belarus-Russia component in the vehicle exceeds 50%. It is a genuine product created by engineers and manufacturers from Russian and Belarusian enterprises,” he said.
The director general emphasized that discussions are still underway regarding what preferences products with this status will receive on the common Belarus-Russia market. “We certainly expect to receive certain support in promoting these vehicles, making the product more attractive for customers in Russia and Belarus,” he noted.According to Valery Ivankovich, Director General of Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), the MAZ-305E20 bus is sold both in Belarus and Russia. “This bus is a brand of the Republic of Belarus. It is a new product in our lineup: an articulated electric bus. Electric buses are in demand, and in the articulated segment we are among the leaders,” he said.
MAZ continues to operate steadily on the Russian market, and deliveries to Russia are only increasing. “We participate in all types of tenders, and the Union State product status will give an additional boost to promoting our product on the Russian market,” he added. “It is another step in recognizing our product within Belarus and the Russian Federation.”
State Secretary of the Union State Sergei Glazyev stressed that this labeling is awarded to advanced equipment produced within the Union State. “The criteria require that the product be manufactured primarily using domestic technologies, materials, components, and certainly assembly within the Union State. More than 50% of the value must be created within the Union State, with at least 25% in each country. In other words, it is a product made largely using our own resources,” he said.
He emphasized that it is very important that well-known enterprises were the first to apply, fully pass the evaluation procedure, and receive assessments from chambers of commerce and industry and the ministries of industry.
Work is currently underway on a mechanism to subsidize interest rates to expand production. “We are also considering creating special refinancing tools for banks and development institutions that finance the production of these goods. Since they are created through cooperation within the Union State, the burden on the trade and payment balance is low. In cases where a Union State product uses fewer imported components than the revenue generated from exporting it, I believe that lending can be expanded without limits, production capacities increased, and new opportunities created for economic development,” he noted.
Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mikhail Myatlikov added that this is a new status, and experts are now working on expanding the list of products that may qualify as Union State products. “This is not a quick process. It is necessary to calculate the bilateral share, taking into account third countries. It is complex work, and there must be no mistakes,” he emphasized.
The Union State product labeling is an official mark of quality that confirms a high level of production localization and protects against unfair competition from goods that imitate Belarusian or Russian brands. In May of this year, the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry approved the regulation on issuing a compliance certificate confirming that a product meets the cooperation-level criterion required to grant industrial goods the status of a Union State product.
The 13th Forum of Regions of Belarus and Russia is taking place in Minsk and Minsk Oblast on 25-26 June. Over the years, the forum has become a traditional dialogue platform for representatives of government bodies and business communities of the two countries. The organizers of the forum are the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus and the Federation Council of Russia.
