It will be the second increase of duties for imported drinks in the past 1.5 years. Since September 2024, Russia has imposed an import duty of 20% of the customs value, but no less than €3 per litre of pure alcohol, on drinks from unfriendly countries.
Russian Cognac and whisky producers are expected to benefit from the upcoming duty hike, after facing sharp drops in demand for their products since the start of the year.
However, many local producers and analysts believe the increase of duties will have serious consequences for Russia’s broader drinks market, and will create added problems for importers.
Industry reaction
Alkopro Guild, a Russian drinks analyst agency, believes the introduced duty will lead to a significant price hike for most imported drinks in the Russian market – leading to a decline in sales of the most popular imported drinks.
In an interview, Ruslan Bragin, head of spirits at Fort, a large Russian wine trading company, also said the duty hike is bad news for most producers and importers, as it will lead to a sharp surge in costs.
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