Azernews.Az

MOSCOW – The European Union (EU) launched its Export Helpdesk website http://exporthelp.europa.eu in Russian. The Export Helpdesk is an online service by the European Commission to provide information to exporters, importers, trade associations and governments outside the European Union so that they can supply the EU market.

The launch of the Export Helpdesk in Russian was designed to improve trade and trade-related cooperation between the EU and the six Eastern Partnership countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine).

The European Union (EU) is the world’s largest single market and is also Azerbaijani’s leading export partner. Besides, since January 2009 Azerbaijani businesses enjoy preferential conditions to export to the EU that reduce significantly ─ or in some cases even totally remove ─ the import duties to be paid when entering the EU market.

Despite these advantageous trade opportunities, Azerbaijani producers can still diversify and increase their exports even more. The challenge is there. To help with it, the EU provides an information tool where Azerbaijani exporters can obtain the necessary information in Russian to enter the European markets. The Export Helpdesk is a free internet site that gives detailed information on how to export to the European Union, from product-specific standards to import tariffs and trade statistics as well as useful links to business associations.

The new facility aims to help build closer trade ties with Eastern Partnership countries as well as with Russia. In 2009 the database received more than 85,000 hits from the six Eastern Partnership countries and almost 35,000 hits from the South Caucasus countries.

The Export Helpdesk was launched in 2004 and it is currently available in six languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic and now also Russian.