JRL NEWSWATCH: “Parallel economy; How Russia is defying the West’s boycott” – Al Jazeera
“… Nearly 1,400 companies, including many of the most internationally recognisable brands, have since February 2022 announced … they would cease or dial back …. operations in Russia [over] Moscow’s military aggression against Ukraine. … [M]any of these companies’ products are still widely sold in Russia, [often] in violation of Western-led sanctions …. Aided by the Russian government’s legalisation of parallel imports [in late March 2022, the import of products without the permission of the trademark owner], Russian businesses have established a network of alternative supply chains to import restricted goods through third countries. The companies that make the products have been either unwilling or unable to clamp down on these unofficial distribution networks. … The Russian economy’s unexpected resilience has been due, in part, to alternative supply chains. …”