From March to December 2025, Russia recorded a steady increase in the number of entrepreneurs switching to legal channels for importing goods. According to a joint study by Tochka Bank and the O+K Research agency, the share of businesses using official import schemes (including for resale on marketplaces) increased by 5%, reaching 37%.
However, analysts emphasize that it is too early to talk about the complete disappearance of "gray" schemes. Cargo delivery retains a strong foothold: 19% of surveyed entrepreneurs rely on it exclusively, while another 35% practice a hybrid approach, combining unofficial channels with legal ones.
Notably, almost half (45%) of the proponents of exclusive cargo delivery stated their plans to switch to "white" (legal) schemes during 2026. The Association of Electronic Trade Representatives confirms that the effectiveness of old logistics schemes is rapidly declining. In the autumn of 2025, businesses faced widespread supply suspensions and total document checks at borders, which not only slowed down logistics but also led to an unexpected rise in costs.
Experts link the trend towards legalization to the strengthening of digital control over product labeling. The regulators' ability to track the full turnover of goods makes "gray" schemes increasingly risky. Nevertheless, switching to official delivery requires companies to significantly restructure their financial processes.
An additional catalyst for the process will be the entry into force of the law on the platform economy in October 2026. From that moment on, marketplaces will bear direct responsibility for the sale of counterfeit and uncertified products. It is expected that this will lead to a sharp tightening of documentation requirements for suppliers, which will inevitably push the market towards a further increase in the share of legal imports.
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However, analysts emphasize that it is too early to talk about the complete disappearance of "gray" schemes. Cargo delivery retains a strong foothold: 19% of surveyed entrepreneurs rely on it exclusively, while another 35% practice a hybrid approach, combining unofficial channels with legal ones.
Notably, almost half (45%) of the proponents of exclusive cargo delivery stated their plans to switch to "white" (legal) schemes during 2026. The Association of Electronic Trade Representatives confirms that the effectiveness of old logistics schemes is rapidly declining. In the autumn of 2025, businesses faced widespread supply suspensions and total document checks at borders, which not only slowed down logistics but also led to an unexpected rise in costs.
Experts link the trend towards legalization to the strengthening of digital control over product labeling. The regulators' ability to track the full turnover of goods makes "gray" schemes increasingly risky. Nevertheless, switching to official delivery requires companies to significantly restructure their financial processes.
An additional catalyst for the process will be the entry into force of the law on the platform economy in October 2026. From that moment on, marketplaces will bear direct responsibility for the sale of counterfeit and uncertified products. It is expected that this will lead to a sharp tightening of documentation requirements for suppliers, which will inevitably push the market towards a further increase in the share of legal imports.
Source