The procedure for handling unclaimed cars and goods at customs will become noticeably faster: the Federation Council has approved a law that reduces the waiting time for the owner to apply to 30 days instead of 60. This means that temporary storage "without a master" will end twice as early, and the property will be transferred to federal ownership on an accelerated schedule.
The explanatory logic of the legislators focuses on two things. The first is efficiency: the longer the cargo and transport stand, the higher the storage costs and the greater the burden on the infrastructure of customs authorities and temporary storage warehouses. The second is the turnover of socially significant goods: shortening the time frame should speed up the legal registration and further actions of the state on such shipments.
The statistics provided in the materials for the changes show why they decided to tighten the deadlines. From April 2023 to December 2024, information about 88 vehicles with goods with a total weight of about 400 tons was posted on the FCS website. During the entire period, the owners were given about 148 tons, which were in ten cars. The authors of the amendments separately note that 6% of owners apply for a refund, and most often within seven days of publication.
For participants in foreign economic activity, this is a signal to review internal regulations on disputed shipments when goods "hang up" due to documents, recipient's refusal or a break in the chain of ownership. The window for correcting the situation is getting shorter, and the risk of losing control of the product while delaying decisions is higher. This is especially sensitive for importers with lengthy quality, labeling, or certification approvals, as well as for carriers and forwarders who turn out to be extreme when the cargo is not picked up.
The practical conclusion is simple: if the cargo falls into the "unclaimed" category, it is necessary to react in the first days after the publication of information, because this period, according to legislators, remains the main window for return.
