Seven Eurasian Countries to Unify Fresh Persimmon GOST Standard（Nov 4）

Seven Eurasian Countries to Unify Fresh Persimmon GOST Standard

Starting November 1, 2026, Russia and the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) will implement a new interstate GOST standard for fresh persimmons. The new standard will replace the previous Russian national standard and simplify mutual trade among member states.

Participating Countries

The new CIS interstate GOST standard was adopted by seven countries: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. This unification means that inspection reports and certificates issued in exporting countries will be legally recognized across the entire Eurasian Economic Union territory, reducing duplicate testing and eliminating the need for separate inspections under different national standards during customs clearance.

Key Changes in the New Standard

The new GOST standard introduces several significant changes to fresh persimmon trade regulations:

1. Harvest Maturity Recognition: The standard formally recognizes "transport maturity," also known as "harvest maturity," as a legitimate maturity stage for trade, providing legal clarity for early-harvest shipments.

2. Stricter Grading Requirements: While recognizing harvest maturity, the standard imposes more rigorous grading requirements for fresh persimmons, with detailed classifications for permissible damage levels.

3. Relaxed Requirements for Processing: Requirements for persimmon raw materials used in jam, puree, or dried persimmon production have been relaxed, allowing such materials to bypass sorting.

4. Terminology Updates: The vague term "fruit degradation" has been removed and replaced with more precise classifications of "green" and "overripe" fruits, improving clarity in quality assessment.

5. Packaging Flexibility: Fruits may now be packed tightly into transport containers, flush with the container edge, optimizing logistics efficiency.

Safety Requirements Unchanged

The new standard maintains unchanged safety requirements for persimmons. Mandatory testing covers heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), pesticide residues, and parasites, all of which must comply with relevant EAEU technical regulations and resolutions.