Shipping food products to Russia
Chilled, frozen and dry food products for Russian buyers: the temperature chain, the shelf life on arrival and the veterinary or phytosanitary documents decide whether the goods get through.
Shipping food products to Russia — for suppliers
We ship food products to Russia from Europe, Turkey and Asia. Refrigerated and dry transport, shelf-life control, veterinary and phytosanitary documentation, and state registration for food products.
We organise the whole chain for you: collection from your premises, the EU export declaration if you do not lodge it yourself (with proof of exit for your VAT zero-rating), international freight, customs clearance in Russia and delivery to your customer’s warehouse. Minimum service fee €200, insurance 0.3 % of the cargo value.
At a glance
From 50 kg
Minimum consignment; air freight has no weight limit.
LCL + FCL
Groupage, full containers, road and air.
Turnkey
Customs clearance and certification in Russia.
24/7
Shipment tracking.
How we ship food products
Cold chain
Reefers at −20…+5 °C with continuous temperature monitoring in transit.
Veterinary and phyto control
Veterinary and phytosanitary certificates, work with the Mercury system.
Shelf-life control
We plan the route so the goods arrive with the maximum remaining shelf life.
Packing and securing food products
Food products travel on pallets with shrink film, with the temperature maintained over the whole route: chilled +2…+6 °C, frozen −18 °C, dry goods protected from moisture. Every piece must be marked with the production date and shelf life.
Documents and permits
A declaration under TR CU 021/2011 “On food safety”, a veterinary certificate for products of animal origin (and the producing plant must be on the Rosselkhoznadzor register), and a phytosanitary certificate for plant products. Some products from the EU and the US have been banned from import into Russia under counter-sanctions since 2014.
The costly mistake made most often
Ordering goods from a European producer that is not approved by Rosselkhoznadzor, or a product on the counter-sanctions list: the consignment is turned back at the border and the perishables are lost. Checking the list of approved plants and the HS codes must happen before the contract.
Which mode usually works out best
Perishables go only by reefer: from Europe 5–10 days, from Turkey 4–7. Dry, long-life products travel as road groupage or by container. Air is for delicacies with a short shelf life, from Asia and the Middle East. The temperature log from the reefer is part of the document set.
Where food products usually ship from
- ✓Turkey
- ✓Italy
- ✓Germany
- ✓China
- ✓Consignments are collected and consolidated at our warehouses in Vilnius and Warsaw (and in Rotterdam for sea freight).
Services for this cargo
Groupage (LCL)
From 50 kg, weekly departures.
Full container (FCL)
20′ and 40′ HC, from 5 tonnes.
Road freight
LTL and FTL, 3–12 days.
Turnkey customs
Clearance in Russia through a customs representative on the Federal Customs Service register.
Consolidation
Warehouses in Vilnius and Warsaw, plus our Rotterdam hub for sea freight.
Insurance
From 0.3 % of the cargo value.
What shipping costs: indicative rates
| Mode | Rate | Transit time |
|---|---|---|
| Sea · groupage (LCL) | from €200 per piece (from €500 per euro pallet) | about 2 weeks |
| Sea · full container (FCL) | from €1,800 (20′) · from €2,600 (40′) | 6–7 days in transit |
| Road · groupage (LTL) | from €850 for 3 pallets (Warsaw → Moscow) | 4–7 days |
| Road · full truck (FTL) | from €4,500 Warsaw → Moscow · from €6,200 Slovenia → Moscow · from €6,500 Italy → Moscow | 5–10 days |
| Air · urgent | by volumetric weight, minimum order €200 | 2–8 days |
| Sea + rail (China) | on request (calculated by weight and volume) | 23–55 days |
Indicative “turnkey” rates including customs clearance in Russia. Sea via Rotterdam: a full container must be declared to the port 3 days before the vessel sails. The exact rate is calculated for your consignment.
B2B only, sanctions screening first
We work with companies only: shipments from 50 kg (air: no weight limit), minimum service fee €200. We handle only goods that are not subject to EU, UK, Swiss or US sanctions: before we quote, we check the HS code of every item and screen your customer and all parties to the shipment. We reply within 2 business hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum consignment for food products?
From 50 kg or 0.1 m³ (groupage, pallets, containers); air freight has no weight limit. The minimum service fee is €200.
How much does it cost to ship food products to Russia?
It depends on weight, volume, country of dispatch and route. Send us the dimensions and weights and we will quote within 2 business hours; the table above gives indicative rates.
What documents are needed for food products?
It depends on the product: a commercial invoice and packing list, and where required certificates, declarations and permits. We give you the full list for your cargo before shipment — see “Documents and permits” above for the typical set.
Do you handle customs and certification in Russia?
Yes. We provide full turnkey customs clearance in Russia and help your customer with certification under EAEU requirements.
Other cargo in “Food and agriculture”
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