Shadowy, counterfeit trade in imported goods remains one of the most acute problems on the Russian market. However, according to the Made in Russia correspondent, attempts to "bring order" in this area are not always aimed at real change.

According to the president of the company GC Zenden Group Andrey Pavlov, today the Russian business suffers from an abundance of imported counterfeit products.

"Many laws have been adopted to control the industry: labeling has been introduced, online cash registers have been introduced, the patent regime is limited. The system is even redundant, marking is a redundant element of control. Tens of thousands of legal entrepreneurs left the market because labeling is a complicated process. The whole set of measures did not protect the market. Everything turned out the way Chernomyrdin said: we wanted the best, but it turned out the same as always," he said.

He explained that the entrepreneurs, who could not compete with cheap imports, "were replaced by huge networks with counterfeit goods. "Local entrepreneurs have been strangled and left the market, and they have been replaced by chains with stores of 2,000-5,000 meters, run by migrants. They all work on preferential terms and are registered not at the location of the store," said Pavlov.

At the same time, the work to identify counterfeit products in the country leaves much to be desired, the businessman believes.

"Our lawmakers and regulators have taken all steps to bring order. But the import of shoes has increased, while production has decreased. Counterfeit gives a lot of added value and increased demand. Tax inspectors laugh at inspections and say that they buy products from offenders at half the price," he said.

According to him, all the outlets where illegal products are sold are known. "Rospotrebnadzor checks the shops for masks, compliance with social distance, but does not notice the presence of counterfeit products. This is a purposeful way to make shady income", - he is sure.

Konstantin Bandorin, Director for Strategic Development of the State Innovation Center of Textile and Light Industry (JSC "INPTS TLP"), for his part, drew attention to the problem of counterfeit certification.

"Even 7 years ago the black certification market included just a printer on which certificates are made. Today we are talking, rather, about a gray market, which has irregularities, a non-transparent market. The grey market certification today is either certificates issued in violation of certain rules, or certificates issued without full test protocols. This year there is an instruction to conduct unscheduled inspections of accredited persons. There are 64 accredited persons in the register, 40% of the accredited persons were found to have violations. But violations that do not lead to closure," he said.

He cited illegal e-commerce as another challenge. "A million parcels a day go into Russia from abroad, it is not certified, not licensed, not taxed, but it is a legal market that is not subject to regulation in any way," he stressed.

Made in Russia / Made in Russia

Author: Maria Buzanakova