On May 27, the rules will change in Russia – laptops and other equipment of some foreign brands will be excluded from the list of goods. These include Acer, Asus, Samsung, and Toshiba. The Ministry of Industry and Trade confirms that this will not lead to a reduction in scope. Retailers add that the products will not disappear from shelves. However, lawyers warn that a return to “grey import schemes” could lead to risks for importers and higher prices for buyers. Forbes found out how the exclusion of brands will affect the market as a whole.
Effective May 27 to request Ministry of Industry and Trade Resolution No. 4769 of September 2025 excluding computers, laptops, servers, motherboards, processors, and disk drives of foreign brands from the list of goods for which parallel import is permitted.
The same administration stated that excluding brands from the list will not affect the range of this equipment in the Russian domestic market and will increase demand for domestic products. “Similar products are offered by Russian producers in a volume sufficient to replace goods from unfriendly countries” – It was said In the comment of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Retail representatives interviewed by Forbes believe that the ban will not have a significant impact on sales and the market as a whole. The combined Wildberry & Russ company says it does not expect a decline in sales due to the emergence of new products on offer. Inventive Retail Group notes that there is no solution yet regarding Samsung laptops, but even if there was, their share of sales is less than 3%. Marvel Distribution adds that there is now enough equipment and local supplies from “friendly” countries, and there will still be a small influx of listed brands into the market across countries – prices may rise slightly, but “not decisively”.
On the contrary, the Association of Trade Companies and Manufacturers of Electrical and Computer Equipment (RATEK) believes that an import ban on a number of brands will lead to a narrowing of the scope.
A Forbes source at one of the Russian manufacturers believes that excluding brands from the list as a whole “will have almost no impact on the situation on the market.” He explains that this will not mean the disappearance of the goods, and lists several options – for example, a brand representative office located in a “friendly” country can issue permits, or the devices will be imported under the guise of other goods.
The lawyers interviewed by Forbes explained that exclusion from the list of parallel imports does not mean banning imports per se. They believe that imports will not stop, and if there is demand, there will be supply, but the risks faced by those who import and sell the equipment will increase – and “these risks will certainly be included in the price for the end consumer.”
Lawyers also point out that a copyright holder may request to stop importing goods without permission or seek compensation – but this requires an “institutional presence” in Russia, and “a significant portion of foreign brands do not currently have this”.