The second stage of the use of navigation seals in the EAEU will start on July 31, 2026. This was recalled by the Federal Customs Service. The transportation of almost all goods placed under the customs transit procedure and transported by road, as well as the transportation of certain categories of expensive, tax-intensive goods under the same procedure, will be subject to tracking using seals.
The practical implementation of the Agreement began on February 11, 2026. At the first stage, road and rail transportation of alcohol and tobacco products, as well as goods for which the Union countries apply special economic measures, under transit, export or internal movement procedures, were subject to sealing. They were joined by separate categories of light industry and radio electronics products: fur products, clothing, shoes, telephones, audio and video equipment, monitors.
The expansion of the perimeter in the second stage changes the scale. Previously, the carrier could plan a route based on the product group: whether the cargo was included in the sensitive list or not. Since the end of July, this issue has been practically eliminated for autotransite — most of the nomenclature is under tracking. For rail transportation, light industry goods and electronics are added at this stage. Full coverage of rail transit is provided by the third stage from May 27, 2027.
The first results of the system's operation show where it is in demand. Customs transit accounted for about 70% of seal applications, domestic trade within the EAEU accounted for 28%, and export operations accounted for about 1%.
At the same time, international road carriers note that the promised simplification of control has not yet occurred: downtime and costs have increased, but administrative relief has not occurred. This is especially noticeable on the border of China and Kazakhstan, where the wait for inspection stretches for two to three weeks. The EEC recognizes that the seal cannot affect this situation at the first stage, since the inspections are caused by other reasons.
Companies transporting goods in transit through the territory of the Union should check with their operator by July 31 the procedure for applying and removing seals, the cost of the service and the points where the device is issued and accepted. It is reasonable to include the time for the procedure in the delivery schedule in advance, rather than finding out the regulations at the border after the requirements enter into force.
