UrBC, Moscow, November 3, 2015. Alcohol imports to Russia might grow somewhat irregular starting from January 1, 2016, as wholesale suppliers won’t be able to register with the Unified State Automated Information System or the strong drinks turnover database in time, Alexei Nebolsin from Russia’s Pillars said to Izvestiya.

‘Wholesalers are expected to register by the end of the year and retail chains by July 1. The system will apply to manufacturers and wholesalers right after New Year, even though we are informed just under 5% of Russia’s strong drinks wholesalers are actually prepared for this,’Nebolsin said.

He says unregistered distributors won’t be able to accept manufacturers’ shipments or legally resell strong drinks, wine, beer, cider, mead, or poiré to retail sellers next year.

‘This year’s supplies will last for some time, but, given the holiday season’s high demand, a solution still needs to be found. In fact, quite a few businesses, especially the SMEs, are actually not aware of how to register with the system, and many of them cannot afford to do so,’ Nebolsin says.