Russia cracks down on grey imports to boost state revenue by 2027

Putin's economic overhaul takes aim at shadow imports. A digital tracking system and cash export rules could reshape Russia's trade—and its treasury.

, and Administrator

2026 March 19 . 5:14 PM

1 min read

The image shows an old Russian banknote with a picture of a factory on it. The factory is depicted... — The image shows an old Russian banknote with a picture of a factory on it. The factory is depicted in black and white, with smoke billowing from its chimneys and a logo on the left side. At the bottom of the image, there is text written in Russian.

Russia cracks down on grey imports to boost state revenue by 2027

Russia is tightening customs controls to reduce unofficial imports and boost budget revenue. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has highlighted the role of customs in this push. The government expects these measures to bring in hundreds of billions of rubles over the next two years.

In December 2025, President Vladimir Putin ordered the 'obelit' (legalisation) of the Russian economy. This includes stricter oversight of cash ruble and gold exports. The move aims to curb grey imports and increase state revenue.

One key tool will be the System of Confirming Expectations for the Supply of Goods (SPOT). It launches in test mode on 1 April 2026 and fully on 1 July 2026. Officials estimate SPOT alone could generate around 300 billion rubles in annual budget revenue. The broader crackdown on grey imports may add another 500 billion rubles to federal coffers in 2026 and 2027. Combined with SPOT, the total expected gain from customs control reaches 0.5 trillion rubles over these two years.

The new measures will take effect in stages, starting with SPOT's trial phase in early 2026. If successful, they could significantly increase customs revenue. The government's focus remains on reducing unofficial trade while strengthening economic oversight.