iCustoms launches a blog on vc.ru: the customs questions your Russian buyer will ask you next
If you ship goods to Russia or the CIS, most of the questions your buyer sends before loading come from a short list: the HS code, the permit documents, new EAEU requirements and payment. From 10 September 2026, iCustoms, a Russian customs representative, is covering these topics in a new blog on vc.ru, one of the largest business platforms on the Russian-language internet. The posts are written for Russian business owners and foreign trade specialists, so they show you what your customer is likely to ask for next. Below you will find what the blog covers, what its first article on household appliances means for your paperwork, and how to prepare your documents so that a new rule does not hold your goods at the border.
What iCustoms has launched
Since 10 September 2026, iCustoms has had its own blog on vc.ru. The posts are short and practical: what is changing in customs rules, certification and logistics, and what to do about it. New articles come out twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The material comes from our daily work. We handle import shipments every day and see where they get stuck most often: the HS code, permit documents, new EAEU requirements and payment to the supplier. The blog is in Russian and written for the importer, but most of these problems start with documents and data that only you, the manufacturer or supplier, can provide.
What the blog covers and what it means for your shipment
The blog has three recurring themes:
- rule changes: what takes effect, who it applies to and which deadline to prepare for;
- how customs clearance, certification and marking of imported goods work in practice;
- logistics from China and other countries: routes, documents and common mistakes.
For an exporter, each of these themes ends up as a request from your buyer. The table shows what that request looks like.
| Where imports into Russia get stuck | What your buyer will ask you for | What happens if it arrives late |
|---|---|---|
| HS code | A precise description of the goods: model, materials, function and technical data | Customs questions the code, and release takes longer |
| Permit documents | The technical documentation needed for certificates and declarations of conformity | The goods cannot be released and stay at the border or in the warehouse |
| New EAEU requirements | An invoice and packing list whose models, quantities and descriptions match the goods line by line | The documents have to be corrected after the goods have arrived |
| Marking | Agreement on who applies the codes and where: at the factory or after arrival | The goods are relabelled after arrival, which costs time |
| Payment to the supplier | A contract and invoice that agree with each other and with the shipment | The payment is held up, and so is the shipment |
Customs, certification and logistics updates for shipments to Russia and the EAEU, now twice a week on vc.ru
First article: household appliances in the EAEU
The first article is already out: «Бытовая техника внутри ЕАЭС: номер партии в документах и месяц на внесение остатков» (“Household appliances inside the EAEU: a batch number in the documents and a month to enter existing stock”). It explains what importers of refrigerators, washing machines and TVs have had to do since 1 September 2026.
The article is written for importers, and both points in its title are handled by your buyer: the batch number goes into their documents, and they enter the stock already in their warehouse. What matters on your side is the accuracy of the data those documents are based on. If you ship electronics and home appliances to Russia, expect more detailed questions about model names and quantities and how they appear in your invoice and packing list.
Your Russian buyer assigns the batch number, not you. But their documents are built from yours, so if a model name or quantity differs between the invoice, the packing list and the actual goods, your buyer has to correct it and your shipment is delayed.
How to follow the blog
Open the iCustoms blog on vc.ru and click «Подписаться» (Subscribe). New articles will then appear in your feed. The blog is in Russian. If your team does not read Russian, a browser translator is enough to follow the headlines, or you can ask a Russian-speaking colleague to keep an eye on new posts.
iCustoms also publishes on Dzen and runs a Telegram channel. Choose whichever suits you.
What to do as an exporter
- Before you confirm a loading date, ask your buyer which permit documents and marking your goods need, and whether any new rule now applies to your product group.
- Agree on the HS code with your buyer and describe the goods in the invoice in enough detail to support it: model, materials and function.
- Check that models, quantities and descriptions match line by line across the invoice, the packing list and the actual goods. This matters most for refrigerators, washing machines and TVs.
- Prepare the technical documentation for certification before the goods are ready to ship.
- Make sure the contract and the invoice agree with each other so that payment is not held up.
- Read the new posts on Tuesdays and Thursdays to see which topics your buyer is likely to raise next.
Frequently asked questions
Is the vc.ru blog available in English?
No. vc.ru is a Russian-language platform, and the articles are written for Russian importers. On the English version of our site, we cover news about shipments to Russia from the exporter’s point of view.
How often are new articles published?
Twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
I ship refrigerators, washing machines or TVs to Russia. Do the new rules require anything from me?
The obligations in the first article have applied to importers since 1 September 2026, so your buyer is the one who has to meet them. Your part is to send documents in which models and quantities match the goods exactly, so your buyer does not have to correct anything.
Where else does iCustoms publish?
On Dzen and in its Telegram channel, as well as on vc.ru and this blog.
Summary
Since 10 September 2026, iCustoms has been publishing practical articles on customs, certification and logistics on vc.ru twice a week. The blog is written for Russian importers, but its main topics (the HS code, permit documents, new EAEU requirements and payment) are the same questions an exporter gets before shipment. The first article, on household appliances in the EAEU, shows how this works: the obligations sit with the buyer, while accurate shipping documents are the supplier’s job. Submit a request for a consultation, and we will look at your specific consignment.
We will check which conformity documents and markings your consignment needs before it leaves the factory.
Read also:
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- Shipping dietary supplements to Russia: Chestny ZNAK codes, documents and what your buyer will now require
- TR CU 021/2011 Standards List Updated: What Your Buyer in Russia Will Ask You For
- Toys for Russia: new EAEU marking rules your buyer will check before customs
