According to USDA-FAS GAIN report RS2021-0007 released March 17, the Ministry of Agriculture or Russia is proposing to increase the import tariff on chicken hatching eggs to five percent effective January 1st 2022 and then to increase the rate to 15 percent the following year.
The proposal is protectionist and is intended to encourage domestic production. Although, the tariff was proposed previously, imposition was delayed as a result of shortages caused by highly pathogenic avian influenza. In accordance with WTO commitments, the maximum rate for hatching eggs is 15 percent, although since 2006, there has been no import tariff.
In 2020, Russia imported 208.6 million hatching eggs with the leading suppliers, Netherlands (64.9 million), Germany (26.7 million), Czech Republic (20.2 million) and France (18.3 million). Fifteen other nations contributed exported hatching eggs to Russia ranging in volume from 120,000 to 14 million.
Russia is dependent on imports for 20 percent of chicken hatching eggs and 90 percent for turkey eggs. Exports of U.S. hatching eggs to Russia resumed in 2020 with 208.6 million chicken eggs out of a total of 258.4 million. With respect to eggs other than chickens, the U.S. exported 4.4 million, presumably turkey eggs, to Russia out of a total of 49.9 million.