The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade is preparing a proposal to extend the mechanism of parallel imports into Russia through 2026, according to Deputy Minister and State Secretary Roman Chekushev, as reported by TASS.
Chekushev told reporters that while no official decision has yet been made, the ministry believes the mechanism should be extended and will draft a corresponding proposal.
“So far, no decision has been taken [regarding the extension of parallel imports], but the Ministry of Industry and Trade believes this mechanism should continue into 2026. We will prepare the appropriate proposal,”
he stated.
The deputy minister added that the ministry updates the list of goods allowed under parallel imports on a quarterly basis. The next revision is expected between late summer and early September. Chekushev noted that over the past year, the trend has been to gradually reduce the number of brands included, rather than expand the list.
He explained that the ministry collects input from various industry sectors and domestic manufacturers, who confirm their ability to replace imported goods and produce them in sufficient volumes. The ministry also considers requests from companies that have launched or resumed official deliveries of products and seek to be removed from the parallel imports list.
Speaking at a session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Chekushev outlined the current direction of the country’s industrial and technological policy. He said the Russian authorities began to recognize as early as 2014 that the era of unrestricted access to international technology was coming to an end. The departure of a number of foreign companies after 2022 was seen by many as an opportunity for domestic businesses to fill the gaps. According to Chekushev, Russia is now pursuing a policy of “healthy protectionism” as part of its broader industrial strategy.
