The term "customs" in Russian is derived from a Turkic word "tamga" - "proprietary brand" which used to be stamped on goods and articles of property. Since the ХIIIth century the word "tamga" was referred to the toll charged for transportation of goods. The place where the goods were "branded" or "tamga'd" came to be referred to as "customs" or "tamozhnia".

The Russian Customs day is October 25 - the day when a unified customs code was adopted for Russia. In the times of reign of Peter the 1st when foreign trade started to develop - in the interests of domestic industry - high customs tolls were levied from imported goods manufacture of which was not developed then and had only just started. Followers of Peter the 1st strived to carry on with the policy of encouraging manufacture and export of Russian goods and to increase the income of the country's treasury by levying customs tolls.

Presently, duties of a customs office include protection of the country's interests, providing movement of goods flow across the country's border, preclusion unauthorized import and export of goods. As the goods move across the border, they have to pass through customs clearance - a list of legally set operations. The procedure of customs clearance depends on nomenclature of goods, type of transportation and legal position of the person who declares goods at the customs office as well as on the destination of goods.

Major helps the participants of Global Economic Movement to arrange customs clearance of the imported and exported goods. We possess a vast experience and a wide range of capabilities as regards execution of all manner of customs procedures:

• Major company is enrolled in the All-Russian customs brokers register (certificate No 0098/01 of 10.03.2006). This makes us entitled to execute declarations with our own seal in Moscow and regions of Russia.
• Major is a full member of National Association of Customs Brokers (Agents).
• We have become the first customs broker to apply electronic declaration of aviation cargoes in Russia. This project was carried out in Domodedovo customs office. Issuing cargo customs declarations in the electronic format is a principally new approach to execution of customs clearance) for Russia.
• Major has its offices in the main international airports of Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Saratov, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok, Ekaterinburg. Territorial proximity to aviation customs offices allows us to execute customs clearance under-time which eliminates extra costs on cargo storage in terminals.
• Cargoes of our customers which arrive to Moscow by truck pass through Moscow, North and Odintsovo customs offices. We can also offer customs clearance in the zones of activity of other Moscow and regional customs offices.
• Customs clearance for ocean and sea shipments is provided in ports of Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Nakhodka and Novorossiysk.
• The international network of Expeditors allows us to offer customs clearance services all over the world.
• Electronic circulation of documents between all of our offices including the regional ones is introduced in our company. This allows our customers to have access to all transportation and customs documents practically in on-line mode as soon as the documents have been executed. Access to documents is made through MAP (Major Access Point) customer service system.
• Our employees possess state certificates of brokerage. Once every 2 years all the experts go for re-certification in the Russian Customs Academy for the purpose of improving the level of their professional skills.