Parallel Imports on Marketplaces: What You Can Sell

Parallel import, the import of genuine branded goods without the rights holder's permission, has been legalized in Russia for a defined list of brands and categories. For a seller it means access to goods from brands that have left the market, but under strict conditions: the goods must be genuine, fully declared at customs, and backed by a complete paper trail. Below is how the mechanism works and where its limits lie.

Ordinary imports go through an official distributor with the rights holder's consent. Parallel import means legally buying the genuine article abroad (from a dealer or a wholesaler in another country) and bringing it into Russia without the brand's consent. The mechanism applies to goods on the list maintained by Minpromtorg (the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade): for those items, no sanctions apply for using the trademark when importing.

The key point: what has been legalized is the import of genuine goods. A fake remains counterfeit regardless of any list.

1. 1The list. The brand or category must be on the current Minpromtorg list, and the list gets revised: items are added and removed (usually when official supplies resume). Check before every purchasing campaign, not once a year.
2. 2Authenticity of the source. Buy from a foreign dealer or wholesaler with a traceable chain. A "genuine item" from a basement channel is simply counterfeit with a backstory.
3. 3Fully declared import. Customs declaration, invoices, contract: cargo shipping schemes are incompatible with parallel import, because without an import trail you have nothing to prove legality with.
4. 4Certification and labeling do not go anywhere either, the usual requirements still apply: certificates and Chestny Znak labeling for the relevant categories.

The package is the same as for any branded goods, plus the customs trail:

• the contract with the foreign supplier and the invoices;
• goods declarations (DT) for the imported batches;
• certificates and declarations of conformity;
• internal accounting records linking the batch in your warehouse to a specific import.

This package is your answer both to a platform request and to a rights holder complaint: with parallel imports, brand complaints are routine, and they are won with documents. The general logic of brand paperwork is covered in the companion guide.

• Upside: demand for departed brands is alive and competition is limited by the barrier to entry (currency, foreign trade operations, paperwork), so margins run above average: a barrier as niche protection.
• Downside: currency risk and prepayments, a long cycle (working capital), and warranty questions with no official service center, because you as the seller provide the warranty to the buyer.
• Execution risk: one error in the chain (the wrong TN VED customs commodity code, a gap in the documents) turns a legal scheme into a problem out of nowhere. On your first batches, work with an experienced customs broker.

"What is parallel import in simple terms?" The legal import of genuine branded goods without the rights holder's permission, for brands and categories on the Minpromtorg list. Such goods can be sold on marketplaces provided you hold the full set of import documents.

"Where can I see which brands may be imported?" On the current Minpromtorg list. The list is revised in both directions, so check it before every purchase rather than relying on memory.

"How does parallel import differ from counterfeit?" Parallel import means a genuine item legally bought abroad and imported through full customs declaration. Counterfeit means a fake, or goods with no provable origin. The difference is authenticity plus documents.

"Which documents do I need to sell on Wildberries or Ozon?" The contract and invoices, customs declarations for the batch, declarations of conformity, and labeling where required. The same package is used to answer rights holder complaints.

"Who provides the warranty on parallel import goods?" The seller: the brand's official service network usually does not handle such goods. Build warranty obligations and returns into the economics of the model.