The portion of electronics reaching Russia through parallel imports, especially laptops and tablets, has tightened recently. The report, grounded in GS Group data, suggests this trend is real and not a blip. (GS Group)
Analysts point to a mix of factors behind the retreat of parallel imports: a broader presence of Chinese-made goods in the market and a strengthening of domestic Russian manufacturing for devices. As a result, overall laptop shipments to Russia slipped by more than 40 percent and tablet imports declined by about 26 percent; within that landscape, the share of parallel-imported laptops shrank by roughly 20 percent and tablets by around 13 percent. (GS Group)
GS Group highlighted that last year the proportion of laptops entering Russia via parallel import channels fell to about one third of all laptop imports, a drop from 53 percent in 2022. In total, approximately 2 million laptops were imported, which marks a 41 percent decrease compared with the previous year. (GS Group)
Experts note a parallel pattern across other consumer electronics categories. Specifically, the share of tablets arriving through parallel import channels dropped from 27 percent to 15 percent in 2023. Last year saw around 1.3 million tablets imported, a 26 percent year-on-year decline. (GS Group)
GS Group representatives observed that, with the exception of Apple, nearly all foreign consumer electronics brands that formally exited the Russian market have ceded existing market positions. (GS Group)
Recent coverage, including Bloomberg’s discussion of the microchip sector, underscores the broader context of supply chain shifts affecting electronics in Russia. (Bloomberg)