Retailers against sharp restrictions on wine imports in Russia

A sharp blocking of access of European wines to the shelves of Russian stores by increasing import duties to 200% could worsen the situation for buyers. This opinion was voiced in an interview with TASS by the chairman of the presidium of the Association of Retail Trade Companies (AKORT, unites the largest Russian retailers) Igor Karavaev. According to him, protective duties are justified if the market is saturated with a high-quality alternative, and this takes time. Now retail chains are actively expanding supplies of wines from Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Serbia. AKORT expects that demand will continue to systematically shift towards Russian wine and products from friendly countries. However, whether the popularity of domestic wine will become a long-term trend will depend not only on its availability, but also on its quality, Karavaev emphasized. “Both from this point of view and in terms of saturating the market throughout the country, ...