This Law sets forth the foundations of the foreign trade policy and state regulation of foreign trade in the Republic of Tatarstan, the principles of its application by the foreign trade participants.

Article 1. Concepts used in this Republican Law

The present Law uses the following concepts:

"foreign trade activity"- is one of the forms of foreign economic regulated by State and conducted in the sphere of export, import and international exchange goods, jobs, services, information the results of intellectual activity;

"participants in foreign trade activity" - domestic participants of foreign trade activity and foreign participants of foreign trade activity;

"domestic participants in foreign trade activity" (domestic persons) legal persons which are permanently located on the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan and also citizens who permanently or predominantly reside on the territory of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan and are registered as individual entrepreneurs;

"foreign participants in foreign trade activity" (foreign persons' - legal persons or organisations of other legal forms whose civil legal capacity is determined in accordance with legislation of the foreign state whose citizens they are and stateless persons whose civil competence is determined in accordance with the legislation of the foreign state wherein said persons permanently reside.

Article 2. Purpose of this Law

The purpose of this Law is to provide conditions for effective development of foreign trade activity aimed at stimulation of the economy and to safeguard economic Interests of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The main principles of state regulation of foreign trade activity in the Republic of Tatarstan shall be as follows:

• equality of participants in foreign trade activity:
• freedom of entrepreneurship;
• fair economic co-operation and mutual benefit
• sovereignty of state over its natural resources and foreign trade activity
• guarantee of the rights of participants in foreign trade activity to prevent illegal interference.

Article 4. Foundations of foreign trade activity of the Republic of Tatarstan

Trade-economic relations of the Republic of Tatarstan with foreign states, subjects of foreign federations and administrative-territorial units of foreign states are built on the basis of observing universally recognised principles and norms of international law.

Article 5. Matters within the terms of reference of the Republic of Tatarstan

The Republic of Tatarstan shall exercise absolute power in the field of regulation of foreign trade activity outside the terms of reference of the Russian Federation on subjects of joint competence: The Republic of Tatarstan within the scope of its competence shall:

• carry out legislative regulation of foreign trade activity in its territory;
• carry out co-ordination and supervision over trade economic activity in its territory:
• draft and implement the Republican programmes of foreign trade activity;
• conclude trade-economic agreements with foreign states, subjects of foreign federation states, administrative-territorial units
• set up trade representations in foreign states at the expense of the budget the Republic of Tatarstan in the form non-contradicting to the norms of international law:
• attract state, bank and commercial credits, loans under the guarantees of the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and control their utilisation and repayment;
• grant in accordance with legislation the guarantees and privileges to participants in foreign trade economic activity registered on the territory of Tatarstan Republic;
• participate in the activity of international, economic and financial organisations;
• own, use and manage the state property of the Republic of Tatarstan abroad.

Article 6. The Bodies of state power carrying out state regulation of foreign trade activity

Directions and priorities in state foreign trade activity as parts of foreign policy of the Republic of Tatarstan are determined by the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan. President of the Republic of Tatarstan shall:

• direct the state foreign trade policy of the Republic of Tatarstan and determine basic priorities of foreign trade activity;
• exercise other powers vested by the Constitution of the Republic of Tatarstan and also ensued from international obligations of the Republic of Tatarstan;
• determine supplementary conditions for exportation of oil products and other strategic goods;
• use conciliatory procedures to settle differences between the state bodies of the Republic of Tatarstan and participants in foreign trade activity.

• ensure within their competence pursuance in the Republic of Tatarstan state foreign trade policy, take measures to carry out this policy, adopts appropriate resolutions and enforce their implementation;
• draft the program of development of foreign trade activity and submit this program for approval by the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan;
• within its competence take decisions on holding negotiations and concluding trade-economic agreements of the Republic of Tatarstan with foreign states, subjects of foreign states, administrative-territorial units of foreign states:
• manage the state property of the Republic of Tatarstan abroad: within its competence exercise other powers in the field of state regulation of foreign trade activity:
• shall take temporary measures to safeguard the domestic market of the Republic of Tatarstan;
• put the question on changing the rates of customs tariffs;
• take decision on setting up trade-economic representations of the Republic of Tatarstan in foreign states on the basis of agreements:
• appoint and resign trade representatives of the Republic of Tatarstan in foreign states and international economic organisations. Proposals concerning the state foreign trade policy of the Republic of Tatarstan, regulation of foreign trade activity of its participants, conclusion of trade-economic agreements of the Republic of Tatarstan with foreign states, subjects of foreign federative states, administrative-territorial units of foreign states shall be elaborated by a Republican executive body directly charged by the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan with co-ordination and regulation of foreign trade activity, together with other Republican executive bodies within the limits of their competence.

Article 7. Providing favourable conditions to gain access to foreign markets

The Government of the Republic of Tatarstan within its competence and through their authorised organs shall carry out measures to provide favourable conditions to gain access of the domestic persons to the foreign state markets, in particular by holding bilateral and multilateral negotiations and concluding international economic agreements and also participating in opening and activity of international organisations and inter-governmental commissions called upon to promote development of foreign trade and economic relations of the Republic of Tatarstan with foreign states.

Article 8. Information support of Foreign Trade Activity

A foreign trade information system shall operate on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan to promote the development and raise the effectiveness of foreign trade activity. This system shall be managed by the Republican executive body indicated in the fourth part of Article 6. of present Law. Foreign trade information system shall contain date concerning:

• republican programmes for the development of foreign trade activity
• persons engaged in foreign trade activity:
• foreign legislation in the field of foreign economic activity;
• activity of representations of the Republic of Tatarstan abroad;
• situation on the foreign market with respect to main group of commodities;
• other data useful for carrying out foreign trade activity

Article 9. Measures to Promote Development of Foreign Trade Activity

The Cabinet of Ministers of Tatarstan and the organs authorised by them carry out measures to promote development of foreign trade activity including their necessary financing, in particular:

• provide credits to participants in foreign trade activity
• organise trade exhibitions and fairs specialised symposia and conferences and participation therein:
• organise promotional campaigns and campaigns to develop export of goods and services;
• create system of foreign trade information and also information-advisory services and stimulate and promote foreign trade activity otherwise;
• participate in activity of international non-governmental organisations participants in foreign trade activity in the form stipulated by charter documents of these international organisations and in accordance with law.

Article 10. Insurance in Foreign Trade Activity

The state and its executive bodies within the framework of the program for support of the export and import substitution has a right to carry out insurance and credit risks; Insurance against commercial and non-commercial risks in the field of foreign trade activity shall be carried out in accordance with the laws.

Article 11. Foreign Trade Statistics

The State committee of the Republic of Tatarstan for Statistics, National Bank of the Republic of Tatarstan, Tatarstan Customs House of State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation provide for establishment of a Republican statistical reporting system and information on methodology elaborated and confirmed by State Committee on Statistics of the Russian Federation and State Customs Committee of the Russian Federation on volumes of foreign trade exportation and importation of goods, services, works on the basis of single state statistical reporting and- activity of legal persons with participation of foreign investors established on the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The participants in foreign trade activity may, on voluntary basis form associations, trade and industrial chambers and other unions according to a sectoral, territorial and other principles. Associations and unions of participants in foreign trade activity shall be set up to prated the interests of their members, represent their common interests and solve other tasks in accordance with the aims, provisions and functions set out by their charters or other documents, separate kinds of foreign economic activity with observance of the Article 9, this law. Creation and activity of the associations of participants in foreign trade activity shall be carried out in accordance with legislation. Mixed trade and economic chambers and their missions shall be established in the territory of the Republic of Tatarstan aimed at development of foreign trade relations with foreign states, subjects of foreign federal states, administrative-territorial units of foreign states.

Foreign legal persons shall be entitled to open representation offices in the Republic of Tatarstan to carry out foreign economic policy only on behalf of these foreign legal persons with observance of the legislation.

Article 14. Supervision over Foreign Trade Activity

Supervision over foreign trade activity shall be carried out by the appropriate organs of state power of the Republic of Tatarstan within the scope of their competence. The purpose of the supervision shall be to enforce compliance with the provisions of this Republican law, the other regulatory legal acts on foreign trade activity, support and prated the economic interests of the Republic of Tatarstan and also domestic persons.

Persons guilty of violating the legislation of the Republic of Tatarstan foreign trade activity shall be liable to legal responsibility.

Kazan, July 11, 1996