Import procedures simplified for defense manufacturers: what changed

Import procedures for foreign components have been simplified for Ukrainian weapons and military equipment manufacturers. The changes apply to the customs clearance stage.

The relevant resolution was adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

Today, more than 900 state-owned and private companies and over 300,000 people are involved in supplying the military with weapons, equipment, and technologies. The state is therefore focused on enabling their maximum productivity. 

In particular, the procedure for confirming eligibility for customs duty exemptions for defense industry enterprises has been simplified during the customs clearance of components (materials, assemblies, units, equipment, and parts) imported for the production of defense-related products.

Accelerating customs clearance

Ukrainian weapons and military equipment manufacturers need maximum logistical speed.

To achieve this, the rules for customs clearance of goods required by the defense sector have been updated:

• the requirement to submit certain documents has been removed — the relevant information must now be reflected in the customs declaration, while the documents themselves will be provided only upon request by customs authorities;
• companies are now permitted to submit classified documents (while complying with secrecy requirements) and additional information before filing the customs declaration;
• the requirement to provide customs authorities with copies of contracts, technical data sheets, and other documents three days before customs clearance begins has been eliminated.

As a result, component logistics and production processes at defense industry enterprises will be accelerated. This will enable manufacturers to supply finished products to the Defense Forces of Ukraine more quickly and scale up the production of weapons and equipment.

Entities covered by the new rules

The simplified rules apply to:

• defense sector enterprises;
• co-executors of government contracts;
• subcontractors involved in defense procurement.

The state continues to strengthen the defense sector and streamline conditions for Ukrainian defense manufacturers.