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Doing business in Russia 2020
  1. Introduction
    1. Political and administrative structure
    2. Legal environment
  2. Common forms of business structures for foreign investors
    1. Main types of structure
    2. Registration, liquidation and reorganisation of business structures
    3. Shareholders’ and participants’ agreements
    4. Strategic industries
  3. Anti-monopoly issues
    1. General legal and regulatory framework
    2. Scope of application of the Competition Law
    3. Anti-competitive practices and restriction of competition
    4. Liability
  4. Tax system
    1. General approach
    2. Corporate taxation
    3. Incentives
    4. Special tax regimes
    5. Taxation of individuals
    6. Double taxation treaties
  5. Customs regulations
    1. General approach
    2. Trade between EEU and non-EEU countries
    3. Mutual trade between the EEU members
  6. Currency control
    1. Foreign currency transactions
    2. Consequences of breach/Penalties
  7. Lending in Russia
    1. Lending documents and governing law
    2. Jurisdiction
    3. International finance transactions and repatriation requirements
    4. Security interests
    5. Recognition of security trusts
    6. Syndicated loans
    7. Enforcement
    8. Suretyships and guarantees
    9. Bankruptcy considerations
    10. Other lending related issues
  8. Employment and migration
    1. Formalising the employment relationship
    2. Managing employment relationships
    3. Terminating an employment agreement
    4. Specifics of employing foreign nationals
  9. Personal data protection
    1. General approach
    2. Scope of the Data Protection Law
    3. Liability
    4. Right to be forgotten
  10. Intellectual property
    1. General approach
    2. Contractual aspects of intellectual property rights
    3. Rights over the results of intellectual activity
    4. Company names, trade names, trademarks and appellations of origin
    5. Intellectual property rights infringements
    6. IP Court
  11. Advertising issues
    1. General approach
    2. Scope of application of the Advertising Law
    3. Violations of the Advertising Law
    4. Liability
  12. Anti-corruption and compliance
    1. General approach
    2. Legal framework
    3. Compliance requirements for companies
    4. Concept of corruption in Russian law
    5. Possible targets of bribery
    6. Liability and penalties for corruption
    7. Example of sector-specific anti-corruption measures
  13. Real estate and construction
    1. Rights to real estate
    2. Real estate transactions
    3. Resolution of real estate disputes
    4. Planning and construction issues
  14. Corporate bankruptcy
    1. Insolvency criteria
    2. Stages of bankruptcy proceedings
  15. Import substitution and production localisation in Russia
    1. Measures affecting goods importation and current import substitution legislation
    2. Localisation incentives
    3. Sector-specific impact of import restrictions and localisation requirements
  16. Banking sector
    1. Legislative and regulatory framework
    2. Licensing and operations
    3. Deposit insurance
    4. The anti-money laundering law
    5. Bank secrecy
    6. FATCA and CRS
  17. Environment, energy efficiency and renewables
    1. Environment
    2. Energy efficiency
    3. Renewables
  18. Infrastructure and public private partnerships
    1. General approach
    2. Key PPP legislation
    3. Russian PPP environment
    4. Financing
    5. Legal issues
    6. Prospects for infrastructure projects
  19. Oil & gas
    1. Legislative framework
    2. Ownership and licensing
    3. Restrictions on foreign investors
    4. Licences
    5. PSAs

Import substitution and production localisation in Russia

Background

Around ten years ago, the Russian Government and legislators started to adopt measures aimed at increasing domestic production of goods and reducing the country’s dependency on foreign goods. The events, which took place in Ukraine in 2014, further reinforced these measures as it became more obvious that it is very dangerous for the country’s economy to be overly dependent on imported goods that (i) could be cut off at any time by sanctions; and (ii) are subject to currency exchange rates volatility.

Initially, the government’s policy was simply aimed at import substitution by removing foreign goods from the Russian market and imposing restrictions on imported goods so that domestic goods would take their place. However, it quickly became clear that it was necessary to simultaneously attract foreign direct investments and provide incentives for foreign companies to localise their production in Russia.

Currently, a weak Russian rouble, relatively cheap and qualified local labour force, a free access to the CIS markets¹, including the country’s deeper integration with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which are members of the Eurasian Economic Union (the “EEU”), together with the incentives implemented by the Russian Government, have made the country an attractive place for production of goods.

[1] Russia is a party to the Commonwealth of Independent States Free Trade Area (CISFTA) between Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Moldova, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. However, Russia has suspended this regime towards Ukraine since 2016. In addition, Russia has bilateral free trade treaties with other CIS countries like Azerbaijan. Back ↑

Measures affecting goods importation and current import substitution legislation
Localisation incentives
Sector-specific impact of import restrictions and localisation requirements

Expertise

Commercial Corporate / M&A