There’s a revolution in sight for the footwear market in Russia. The introduction of duty stamps on the import of low-cost shoes and footwear labelling, as is the case with furs, are the two proposals put forward by the Russian government. Introducing a tax on shoes made in China is an initiative by the head of the Union of Russian tanneries and shoemakers, Alexander Andrunakievich, to fight the import of shoes of mostly Chinese origin. According to Andrunakievich, Russia imports almost 80%, and 65% of them are made of poor quality synthetic material at a price of $4.5 per pair. These shoes cannot meet environmental standards and are therefore harmful to health. Also, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Russia proposed the marking of shoes to combat the black market. A proposal came after considering the positive result obtained from the fur industry. The proposal triggered the debate between Russian footwear workers, who highlighted the differences with the fur. Eight million labels were introduced for the latter, while shoes are estimated to have a much larger number. The microchip should go on sold shoes ( 400-600 million pairs a year), uninvested (300-400 million) and those in production-distribution (200 million). There is also a difference in the cost of the transaction and its impact on the final price of the product.
Russia imposes import duties from China and microchips to counter fakes
