Urumqi – Talas

New rules from the north

From 1 July Kazakhstan and Russia and Belarus have the Customs Union, a big union with one tariff. For you it means: a thing that cost one price on 30 June costs another on 1 July, and the Kazakh border officers have a new book with a new colour of cover and a lot of letters.

At the Khorgos side they wanted a paper for every box of covers. A paper for the cover! The woman with the stamp said it is "technical regulation". I said what is technical about a bear with a phone. She did not smile.

Result: 14 hours in the line, 80 dollars extra for "consultation". Do not ask what consultation is.

The invoice and the officer

A short lesson in customs, free for my readers.

1. An invoice with every price exactly right is a problem. They do not believe it.


2. An invoice with every price half is also a problem. They believe it, but they ask you to pay.


3. An honest invoice with one small mistake that they can find themselves is the best. They find it, they are happy, you pay a small sum, everybody goes home.

I learned this in three years and a lot of money. Tell your daughters.