Putin's Import Substitution Program: Failure and Chinese Goods with Russian Labels

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly stated that the sanctions imposed by Western countries over Moscow's aggression against Ukraine are actually helping to strengthen Russia's technological independence. He argues that the country can produce everything it can no longer import due to international restrictions.

To achieve this goal, Russia launched a large-scale import substitution program. However, available information indicates that the program has largely failed. At best, “substitution” has meant that Chinese-manufactured goods are sold on the Russian market under local brands, creating a false impression of domestic production.

Despite this reality, Vladimir Putin regularly publicly announces that the import substitution program is being successfully implemented in ever new sectors of the economy. Such statements often do not correspond to the actual situation, but they are used to maintain an image of Russia's ability to overcome external restrictions.