Every third smartphone in Russia is a fake

      According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, every third smartphone sold in the country is a fake, which accounts for about 31% of the total market. The scale of the problem is also evidenced by the share of counterfeit products in the segment of laptops and computers, where fakes occupy from 7% to 15%.

      In response to the critical situation, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposes to introduce mandatory labeling of all phones sold with an "Honest Sign" and oblige sellers to register sales in the information system. The new rules are scheduled to come into effect on September 1, 2025.

      The measure will affect about 169 thousand market participants, including manufacturers, importers and sellers. According to preliminary estimates, the cost of implementing the labeling system in the first six years will exceed 42.779 billion rubles, of which 18.377 billion rubles will be tax deductions.

      The ministry emphasizes that the need to introduce labeling is due to the need to combat counterfeiting in the industry.: copies of brands, replicas, devices with false information and unlicensed software.

      "Users of gray schemes do not pay taxes, duties and lower prices for goods, which, in turn, counteracts healthy competition and reduces the efficiency of business activities of bona fide participants in the turnover of goods," the Ministry of Industry and Trade notes.