On September 29 at 6:00 AM Moscow time, electronic data interchange with the FCS began experiencing disruptions across all customs posts at once, and customs responses started arriving with delays. Two days later, new requirements for that same electronic data came into force and rail transport rates increased, followed by another data exchange failure on October 3. As a licensed customs representative handling cargo from China, for us the week came down to a single question that also faces you: what must be in the shipment documents for it to clear the border without manual inspection?
A brief summary for those shipping in October: Before dispatch, verify that the bill of lading or waybill indicates the size and type of each container, that for road transport preliminary information (PI) for the road border crossing has been submitted electronically without errors, and that sausage products and hygiene goods from the new list already bear traceability labeling codes. Be sure to request a recalculation of the rail freight rate based on the updated tariff.
Data interchange with the FCS failed twice in a week across all posts
According to the Alta-Soft operational alert service, the disruption on September 29 affected all customs posts. Users reported that export declarations were hanging for long periods at the procedure opening stage. On Saturday, October 3, starting at 16:28 Moscow time, data exchange with the FCS was once again hindered across all posts.
Neither you nor we can prevent such technical failures. During this downtime, the container remains at the TSF (temporary storage facility), and demurrage/storage is paid by the cargo owner. However, it depends entirely on us whether the declaration will be sent back for revision due to data discrepancies once data exchange is restored. As of October 1, the number of fields where errors can occur has increased.
Box 31 of the customs declaration now requires size and type codes for each container
On October 1, amendments pursuant to EEC Board Decision No. 21 dated February 26, 2026 entered into force. Now, in Box 31 of the customs declaration (DT, commonly referred to as GTD), a four-digit size and type code based on new classifiers must be specified with a hyphen after each container number. If this information is missing from the transport documents, zeros are entered in place of each missing code. While the format permits this, we advise against relying on zeros: it is much safer to include the codes in the documents right away.
For you, this means that the codes must be in the bill of lading or waybill before submitting the customs declaration. If you are shipping a full container load (FCL), ask the supplier or shipping line to indicate the size and type in the documents immediately, rather than waiting until the vessel arrives.
We have seen how data discrepancies can arise even without the new code in Box 31. When preparing an LCL shipment of auto parts weighing 900 kg, the suppliers delivered the goods to the warehouse in China and submitted their own package count and weight details, but after repalletizing and recounting, the actual figures were different. We caught the discrepancy before dispatch. The more fields required in a declaration, the costlier such discrepancies become at the border.
At road border crossings, the FCS clears trucks without an inspector under five conditions
Since October 1, a new road transport processing technology has been in effect under FCS Order No. 455 dated May 27, 2026. Preliminary information registration, arrival notification, transport vehicle declaration registration, truck release, and export confirmation are processed automatically without a customs officer. For this to happen, preliminary information must be submitted electronically, the checkpoint must be equipped for the new technology, risk profiles must not trigger, the cargo must not require separate types of state control, and it must not transit under a TIR Carnet. The vehicle is linked to the system entry via a QR code containing its registration plate and carrier details.
Some changes in the formats of advance information (Road PI) under the same order take effect on October 23: for container shipments, a separate document, the Addendum to Road PI, will be added to the Road PI. If you import from China by road, only vehicles whose electronic data has been submitted without errors will be released automatically. If the vehicle plate does not match the submitted data, it will be processed under the standard manual procedure with an inspector.
Five out of six carriers on ATI.SU do not yet have a digital signature
Electronic transport documents (ETD) became mandatory on September 1, 2026, but no fines will be issued until March 1, 2027 due to an active moratorium. According to ATI.SU data cited by SeaNews and CNews, only 19,249 out of 120,167 carriers on the platform (about 16%) possess a qualified digital signature. Between August 24 and September 9, 5,366 carriers obtained signatures, but over the following three weeks, only 2,249 did. As SeaNews and CNews report, carriers saw that the moratorium is in effect and stopped rushing.
In its first-month overview, TKS identifies the main challenges: an unsigned title halts the entire document workflow, small carriers lack sufficient funds and technical skills, and data exchange between EDI operators is experiencing disruptions.
We would not postpone vetting carriers until spring. If you contract a last-mile carrier yourself, ask them now whether they have a digital signature and sign electronic road consignment notes (e-waybills / ETrN). After March 1, a carrier without a signature could jeopardize your shipment.
Sausage products and personal hygiene goods are now imported with traceability labeling codes
Starting October 1, manufacturers and importers are required to apply traceability marking codes to sausage products—including boiled and smoked sausages, frankfurters, pâtés, and meat jellies—as well as certain personal hygiene goods. These include toothbrushes, dental floss, sponges, washcloths, paper towels, and napkins, as reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta and RIA Novosti.
Labeling codes are most conveniently applied at the point of shipment consolidation. That is how we handled a consignment of spare parts from 12 manufacturers. Spark plugs and specific filters in that shipment had to be marked prior to border crossing. Over three weeks, we consolidated the cargo at our terminal in Shanghai, printed and applied DataMatrix codes directly in China, and dispatched two 40-foot containers as a single batch. If you import hygiene goods from China, order the codes in advance and affix them in China prior to shipment dispatch.
Who is unaffected by the October customs regulations
If you transport a container by sea to Vladivostok and onward by rail, the automation of road border crossings does not affect you. If your shipment contains no sausage products or hygiene items from the new list, the October labeling expansion does not affect you either. Container size and type codes in Box 31 are filled in by the declarant, typically the customs representative; if they are already indicated in the shipping documents, nothing more is required from you. There is only one exception, and it is non-customs: verifying whether your last-mile carrier holds a digital signature is something you should definitely do, as an electronic transport waybill is required on that leg as well.
We advise against altering your shipping route or supplier because of these regulations. They only modify data requirements while the import scheme remains unchanged; therefore, you should verify shipment documentation rather than redesign the logistics route.
RZD freight tariffs increased by 8.5%, while loading volumes dropped by 1.2%
As of October 1, freight rail tariffs increased by 8.5% pursuant to Government Decree No. 1924-r. Routine annual indexation usually takes place on December 1, but this time it was implemented earlier.
On the same day, RZD published its September results. Freight loading amounted to 90.3 million tons, down 1.2% year-on-year, while freight turnover increased by 3.4% to 206.3 billion tariff ton-km, indicating that freight is traveling longer distances. Over the nine months, overall loading dropped by 0.7% to 824.4 million tons.
The rail leg from the port to Moscow is becoming more expensive starting with October dispatches. The RZD tariff is factored into the freight rate for this segment; therefore, if your quote was issued in September, ask for a recalculation based on the updated tariff. We advise this for anyone whose departure from the port falls in October or later.
Rail imports from China rose by 18.3% over eight months
Between January and August, RZD carried 130.2 million tons in traffic with China, a 5.4% increase year-on-year, and 2.4 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), up 12.8%. Imports from China rose by 18.3% to 16.7 million tons. Zabaikalsk handled 16 million tons both ways, with container transport through the crossing surging by 27.6% to 414,000 TEUs.
While overall loading is declining, traffic with China continues to grow, so available flatcars and schedule slots on the eastbound/westbound eastern corridor will remain tight. Meanwhile, FESCO launched a new route: on September 28, the first 152 TEU train departed from Timashevskaya station in the Krasnodar region to the Commercial Port of Vladivostok, from where the containers will head to Xingang, China. Transit takes about 12 days by rail to Vladivostok and approximately 7 days by sea; trains run twice a month, and the service operates in both directions.
If you are shipping from China to Southern Russia, this offers another route option via Vladivostok. We recommend monitoring it during its initial months of regular operation to ensure it meets advertised transit times.
Northern Sea Route hits a record number of voyages, while Asia–Europe freight rates fall for the 12th consecutive week
In September, 133 voyages were completed along the Northern Sea Route, up 46% from August and more than quadruple the 2022 figure. Nearly half of the voyages were made by Russian-flagged vessels. Chinese container ships are also transiting the Arctic to Europe, bypassing the Red Sea.
The composite Drewry WCI index dropped 1% to $4,434 per 40-foot container as of October 1. Shanghai–Rotterdam fell 2% to $3,399, Shanghai–Genoa dipped 3% to $3,702, while Shanghai–New York rose 1% to $10,428. The Asia–Europe lane has been declining for 12 consecutive weeks, and Drewry expects further decreases during China's Golden Week.
We do not directly extrapolate European ocean freight rates to shipments from China to Vladivostok. That is an entirely separate market with dedicated carrier lines. A drop in the European freight index does not mean that your container from China to Vladivostok will become cheaper. The Northern Sea Route also currently remains a seasonal corridor for imports from China.
We dispatch the container once data fully matches the documents
October's customs updates center on cargo shipment data, whether container codes, advance road border information, or mandatory labeling codes. Correcting an error at the warehouse in China is far less costly than dealing with it at the customs post. This is why we reconcile package counts, gross weight, and codes prior to dispatch, rather than when the freight reaches the border.
If you are planning a shipment for November, send us the HS / FEA commodity code and goods description. We will perform a preliminary calculation of customs duties and taxes before you execute payment to your supplier.