Russia Considers 200% Duty Hike for Wines From ‘Unfriendly’ NATO States

Russia is considering a potential 200% duty hike on wines from “unfriendly” NATO countries. (Photo: Libor Sojka (CTK via AP Images)

Sputnik International reported on March 5 that The Association of Winegrowers and Winemakers of Russia (AWWR) requested the Russian government to consider implementing import duties for wines from NATO countries as high as 200%.

The development took place after Russia’s Ministry of Economy raised import tariffs of wines from “unfriendly” countries up to 20%, according to Tridge.

Russian winegrowers additionally asked for “preferential import” duties concerning Georgian wines to be removed as well.

“We decided to appeal again to the government and the State Duma [lower house of Russian parliament] with a request to strengthen measures to protect the Russian market and to send the position of the AWWR to the Russian Government and the Expert Council of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, including by setting import duties for wine, sparkling wine, fortified wine from NATO countries at 200%,” AWWR Executive Secretary Alexei Plotnikov told Sputnik, a Russian news outlet.

The organization additionally requested that a minimum of 20% of wines held in stores were Russian and 50% of Russian wines appeared on glass lists at restaurants.

The request for this duty hike is meant to encourage Russian wine production and consumption. The Drinks Business reports that should the 200% duty hikes be imposed, prices for Russian wine should grow by 30%.

A bubbly battle: more controversial Russian wine legislation

In September 2021, NPR reported that Russia flexed its muscles in the wine world when President Vladimir Putin implemented a law reserving the word “champagne” exclusively for sparkling wines made in Russia.

After the law passed, French champagne could no longer be referred to as “champagne” in the country.

“We were shocked,” said a French lawyer for Comité Champagne Marie Genand, according to NPR.

The law broke a precedent that the word “champagne” could only be used to describe wines from the French winegrowing region Champagne.

“It’s also about respect for our ancestors,” said a Champagne grower, Marie Collard. “If the name champagne has any value today, it’s because we have incredibly strict production rules in Champagne which cannot be compared to vineyards elsewhere.”

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