A Russian news broadcast on Rossiya 24 reported a significant rise in goods arriving through parallel imports, with potential to surpass 20 billion dollars by year-end since the regime’s launch. The statement came from Vladimir Bulavin, head of the Russian Federal Customs Service (FCS).
Bulavin noted that the policy was adopted at the start of May, and in the ensuing months about 2.4 million tons of goods had entered Russia, totaling more than 20 billion dollars in value.
He highlighted that vehicles, machine tools, production equipment, and entire production lines were among the items brought into the country via parallel imports. Light industrial goods also contributed to the flow. According to him, this influx helped stabilize market prices across several sectors.
Bulavin also addressed concerns about counterfeit products, stating that the parallel import regime did not spur a rise in fake goods. He emphasized ongoing efforts to combat such items, noting that more than 7 million counterfeit units have already been seized.
During a Federation Council appearance at the end of November, Bulavin recalled that between May and October 2022, roughly 9 billion dollars worth of critical goods had been imported through parallel channels.