Russia Raises Import Duties on Spirits From 'Unfriendly' Countries to 35%

In brief

• Russia has raised import duties on strong alcohol from countries it calls unfriendly to 35%, with a minimum of 5 euros per liter.
• The previous rate was 20% with a minimum of 3 euros per liter, and the new tariff runs until December 31, 2027.
• The government expects the change to add 10 billion rubles to the federal budget in 2027.
• Industry experts expect higher retail prices as existing stocks run out.

New duty rates on imported spirits

The Russian government has raised the import duty on strong alcohol from countries on its list of "unfriendly" states to 35% of customs value, with a floor of 5 euros per liter (Для «недружественных» стран. Россия резко повысила пошлины на популярный импортный алкоголь – NV) (Российское правительство почти в два раза повысило пошлины на крепкий алкоголь из «недружественных» стран – Meduza). Previously the rate was 20%, with a minimum of 3 euros per liter (Russia Hikes Tariffs on Spirits From ‘Unfriendly’ Countries – The Moscow Times). The decree was published on the official legal information portal.

Which products are affected

The higher tariff covers whiskey, rum, gin, liqueurs, brandy, tinctures and undenatured ethyl alcohol. Russia's list of unfriendly countries includes 49 states, among them EU member states, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries that imposed sanctions after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Duration and budget effect

The government describes the measure as temporary. It was approved on October 31 and will remain in force until December 31, 2027. According to the explanatory note to the draft federal budget, cited by Interfax, the increase is expected to add 10 billion rubles to the federal budget in 2027.

Previous changes and the wider picture

The duties on strong alcohol from these countries were last changed in 2024, when a fixed rate of about 1.3-1.4 euros per liter was replaced by 20% of customs value plus 3 euros per liter of pure alcohol. Because of that change, the new duties on cheap drinks are in some cases lower than before. In September 2026 the government also introduced 35% duties on dietary supplements from unfriendly countries, excluding Hungary and Slovakia.

Likely effect on prices

Alcohol industry experts quoted by Kommersant expect the higher duties to feed through to retail prices once existing stocks are sold. They also warned that domestic producers may see only limited sales gains, even though the measure is meant to push demand toward Russian-made spirits.