The EAEU introduces mandatory navigation seals: alcohol, tobacco and sanctioned goods will be controlled from February 11.
Decisions on the use of seals are made by regulatory authorities, and for shipments registered in Russia for transit and export, by customs. For businesses, this means new requirements for the route, tracking data, and transportation regulations.
From February 11, 2026, the first stage of the mandatory use of navigation seals for tracking shipments begins in the EAEU. We are talking about road and rail transportation, when goods are transported through the territories of two or more member states of the Union.
Which cargoes fall under the first stage. Sealing at the start includes:
- automobile and railway transportation of alcohol and tobacco products, as well as "sanctioned" goods (for which special economic measures apply within the EAEU) — during transit, export and mutual trade;
- certain categories of expensive (tax-intensive) goods in automobile transit.
How the control mechanism works. The decision on the use of seals is made by the regulatory authorities. For shipments registered in Russia under customs transit and export procedures, such decisions are made by the customs authorities. The Center for the Development of Digital Platforms LLC (CRCP) has been designated as the national authorized sealing operator in Russia.
The key thesis of the regulator is the transfer of control from the "points" to the route. This is especially sensitive for high-risk categories (alcohol, tobacco, sanctions positions), where it is important for the state to see the real trajectory and exclude "reversals", substitution of shipments, departure to shadow warehouses or re-distribution of cargo without proper procedures. For carriers, this means that the main risk shifts from paper errors to route violations, seal tampering, and inconsistencies between actual events and tracking data.
Alexey Timofeev, Deputy Head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia, emphasizes the practical side of the tool:
"The Russian customs authorities have considerable experience in tracking cargo shipments using navigation seals. This control tool has proven to be highly effective in practice. It allows you to monitor the movement of goods in real time, track the route of transportation, and optimize and simplify control measures," said Alexey Timofeev, Deputy Head of the Federal Customs Service of Russia.
Why this is important for foreign economic activity and supply chains. In the medium term, the seals are an attempt by the EAEU to standardize "digital transit": fewer manual inspections and selective stops, more risk—based monitoring of route data. For importers and exporters (including companies working with BRICS markets through the Eurasian corridors) This can be a two-way factor.:
- the advantage is predictability and potential acceleration with stable route compliance.;
- The downside is new operational requirements and responsibility for data quality: from correct registration to driver/driver discipline and stable communication on the route.
What a business should do now.
- Check whether your product items fall under the "alcohol/tobacco/sanctions" groups or under the lists of expensive categories in transit.
- Update the regulations for carriers: who is responsible for the imposition / removal, actions in case of force majeure, deviation from the route, breakdown of the vehicle.
- Set up data exchange: matching invoices, transit documents, and tracking events (internal control before receiving a request from regulatory authorities).
- Recalculate the logistics economics for sensitive categories: calculate the time for sealing operations and possible "windows" at the border/checkpoints.
The result is simple: from February 11, control becomes "route—based" and digital - and those who build transportation discipline and data transparency in advance will win.
