First of all, Chinese marketplaces, through which counterfeit goods are brought into the country, are meant.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has urged regulatory agencies to tighten oversight of foreign e-commerce platforms operating in the country, singling out Chinese marketplaces for enabling the import of counterfeit goods.
"Anything can be brought in, in any quantity, through these marketplaces," Putin said during a meeting with Russian business leaders on Sunday. "We’ve been talking about this for a long time. It’s clearly a loophole that must be addressed."
Platforms such as AliExpress, 1688.com, and Taobao were identified as key concerns. According to Alexey Fedorov, head of the E-Commerce Committee at Russia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, these Chinese marketplaces have become a “massive problem” for domestic retailers due to the high volume of fake goods being sold. He also noted that transactions made on these platforms are not taxed in Russia, benefiting only Chinese manufacturers and marketplace operators.
Russian entrepreneurs at the meeting also voiced frustration over what they see as unequal regulatory standards. Unlike domestic businesses, foreign sellers shipping goods into Russia are not subject to mandatory labeling requirements, allowing them to deliver products with minimal oversight.
Data from market research firm Data Insight shows that cross-border online retail imports made up less than 3% of Russia’s total e-commerce market in 2024, with around 90% of those imports originating from China, a country Moscow considers a key strategic partner. However, the report notes that the leading role in facilitating such imports has shifted from platforms like AliExpress to Russian marketplaces such as Ozon and Wildberries, which now work directly with Chinese suppliers.
Lower prices remain the main incentive for Russian consumers to shop on foreign platforms, according to Data Insight analyst Sergey Semko. This, he said, continues to restrain price hikes in both online and brick-and-mortar retail across various product categories.
Source: Vedomosti
