Russian auditors attack coal exporters over pricing

Russia’s budget is losing substantial revenues because the country’s exporters ship coal overseas at artificially low prices through various offshore schemes, Russia’s top auditing body said.

A report published on the Audit Chamber website said up to 80 percent of Russian coal exports were going through offshore firms at prices often 30 percent to 54 percent below market rates.
“As a result substantial funds raised from coal sales are accumulated on offshore firms’ accounts while Russia’s budget is losing a substantial part of tax revenues,” the auditing chamber said in a statement.

Reuters