Chestny Znak labelling in 2026: what exporters need to know

In brief

• ✓Imported goods must be labelled before they are put into circulation in Russia; responsibility lies with the importer even if the codes are physically applied by a factory abroad.
• ✓The cheapest place to apply codes is at the factory or at a consolidation warehouse abroad; relabelling at a customs warehouse in Russia under the IM70 procedure is the most expensive option.
• ✓A labelling code costs 50 kopecks excluding VAT; the main costs are not the codes but the work of applying and aggregating them.
• ✓New groups in 2026: radio electronics from 1 May, workwear from 1 March, tea from 1 April and coffee from 1 June, polymer pipes from 1 June, meat products from 1 August and sausages from 1 October, dry groceries from 1 September and 1 December, medical devices from 1 September.
• ✓For car parts, the experiment due to end on 31 August 2026 was extended by Government Decree No. 1113 of 31.08.2026 until 28 February 2027; mandatory labelling dates for the group exist so far only as a Minpromtorg draft and are not fixed by a separate decree.
• ✓The fine for trading unlabelled goods under Article 15.12 of the Code of Administrative Offences is up to 300 thousand roubles for a legal entity, with confiscation of the goods.

Checked against current regulations on 19 September 2026

Rates, deadlines and lists change — we confirm what applies to your shipment on the date of dispatch.

Who applies the code and when

The rule is simple: imported goods must be labelled before they are put into circulation in Russia, which in practice means before release into free circulation. Responsibility lies with the importer as a participant in the trade, even if the codes are physically applied by a factory in China or warehouse staff in Poland.

From 1 March 2026 the registration requirement covers all participants in the trade of labelled goods, so the first step for your Russian customer is still to get access to Chestny Znak and set up the data exchange — not to order codes.

The codes are in Data Matrix format, and grouped packaging is aggregated using SSCC codes. One labelling code costs 50 kopecks excluding VAT in 2026. The figure is small in itself, but noticeable on a lot of tens of thousands of units — and, more importantly, the cost of applying the codes comes on top.

Three places to apply the codes — and what each costs in time

Decide at the order stage

Labelling should be settled when the order is agreed with the supplier, not when the declaration is lodged. Relabelling at a temporary storage warehouse is the most expensive scenario of all.

2026 calendar: new product groups

Radio electronics. From 1 March 2026 — registration of trade participants; from 1 May 2026 — mandatory labelling by manufacturers and importers. Importers had a window: unlabelled goods bought before the start could be imported until 31 May 2026. Unlabelled stock must be labelled by 30 November 2026, and from 1 December 2026 electronic document exchange with unit-level tracking begins.

Light industry, fourth wave — workwear. From 1 March 2026 helmets, vests, safety harnesses, work clothing and uniforms are labelled, and e-document exchange for circulation and withdrawal starts at the same time. Unlabelled stock could be sold until 31 July 2026, and labelled and put into circulation until 30 November 2026.

Confectionery, in stages: from 1 March 2026 — biscuits, marmalade, marshmallows, pastila, wafers, oriental sweets and spreads; from 1 May 2026 — croissants, pastries, rolls and cakes; from 1 July 2026 — chocolate products, dragées, caramel and chewing gum.

Instant beverages: cocoa powder from 1 December 2025, tea and tea drinks from 1 April 2026, coffee and chicory from 1 June 2026.

Dry groceries: from 1 September 2026 — pasta, honey, bran, muesli, breakfast cereals, instant dough and purées; from 1 December 2026 — flour, cereals and dry soups.

Meat products: ready meat products from 1 August 2026, sausages from 1 October 2026.

Medical devices: a new expansion stage starts on 1 September 2026 — mandatory labelling by manufacturers and importers, together with putting into circulation and mandatory unit-level e-document exchange.

Polymer pipes from 1 June 2026. Perfume and lubricants from 1 April 2026.

What comes next: experiments ending

Besides the groups with fixed mandatory dates, a whole series of experiments ran in 2026, some of which were due to end before the year was out. Government Decree No. 1113 of 31 August 2026 extended several of them together until 28 February 2027. This does not cancel future labelling; it only postpones the moment when a decree with specific mandatory dates is issued for the group.

Car parts: the experiment previously ending on 31 August 2026 has been extended to 28 February 2027. For exporters of automotive components this is the most imminent issue: deliveries for 2027 should be planned on the assumption that rules for the group will be set during the extended experiment.

The same decree extended to 28 February 2027 the experiments for heating appliances (previously until 30 September 2026), cable products and optical fibre (previously until 31 May 2026), polymer pipes and fire safety equipment in their experimental stage (previously until 30 April 2026), and pyrotechnics and low-alcohol drinks (previously until 30 June 2026). School textbooks follow a separate, earlier schedule — their experiment ended on 31 August 2025, and the exact mandatory dates are still being clarified at the time of publication. Baby food follows its own newer experiment — Decree No. 2189 of 29.12.2025, running from 12 January to 31 October 2026 — unrelated to the 31.08.2026 extension. The stated end of the experiment for fertilisers, tableware and homeware, hygiene products and household goods — 31 December 2026 — had not changed at the date of checking.

Note that mandatory dates for these groups are set by decrees issued after an experiment ends, and the government regularly extends experiments. If your product range is on the list, agree the technical ability to apply codes in advance and check the current status in Chestny Znak on the date of delivery rather than relying on a date from an old article.

Penalties — and why they cost more than they seem

Trading unlabelled goods that are subject to labelling falls under Article 15.12 of the Code of Administrative Offences: for legal entities, a fine of up to 300 thousand roubles with confiscation of the goods — money and goods can be lost at the same time.

There is also a less obvious consequence: after a violation the company comes under closer scrutiny, and subsequent deliveries are inspected much more often. The cost of that trail in delays usually exceeds the fine itself.

For marketplace sellers there is a third level of risk: without correct labelling the product listing is blocked and the consignment is stuck at the platform’s warehouse, freezing working capital in goods that cannot be sold.

We check the labelling requirements for the product range before dispatch and, if it is cheaper, apply codes at our consolidation warehouse abroad — before the cargo reaches the Russian border.

Key labelling dates and figures in 2026

Frequently asked questions

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