Supreme Court: 5% preferential duty on Chinese tyres not upheld — rec…

The EU Committee of Permanent Representatives approved extending the sanctions package against Russia and Belarus for three years, until September 2029.

Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed Muscovites on the 90th anniversary of former mayor Yuri Luzhkov's birth, noting the traditions he established for the capital's development.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance said in New York that settling the conflict in Ukraine is a matter of time and Washington will continue to push negotiations.

French President Emmanuel Macron plans to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to discuss measures regarding Russia and the situation in Ukraine.

EU member-state permanent representatives failed on Monday evening to agree on lifting sanctions against Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Friedman; the issue has been postponed.

After Trump sued several media outlets, major U.S. TV networks began airing his speeches without sound, escalating the conflict between the White House and the press.

The Cabinet approved a resolution zeroing export duties on wheat, rye, barley and corn from September 22 through December 31, 2026.

The Bank of Russia said budget-draft adjustments could lead the regulator to revise the key-rate trajectory depending on fiscal policy and inflation dynamics.

Nestle in Russia stated that after President Putin signed the decree on temporary management of foreign assets, its commercial operations in Russia will continue in full.

Russia's Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit demanding that Ural Plants shares be transferred to state ownership, citing the presence of a foreign investor.

A four-year-old child left alone at home fell from a 12th-floor window in the Moscow region; rescuers arrived at the scene.

Two tourists went missing in the mountains of Kabardino-Balkaria during a hike; search-and-rescue operations have begun.

Roshydromet declared the end of Indian summer in Moscow; cooling, stronger winds and rain are expected this week.

Penza and Saratov airports temporarily restricted flights on Monday evening due to drone threats; operations resumed several hours later.

A fire broke out at a landfill in Shchelkovo, Moscow region, covering 8,500 square meters; no hazardous-substance concentration limits were exceeded.

A freight-car derailment occurred in the Rostov region; Russian Railways rerouted more than 30 passenger and freight trains.

At the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, the Israeli team was awarded a technical defeat against Lebanon for refusing to play, FIDE reported.

Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova, ranked 22nd in the WTA, announced the end of her collaboration with coach Igor Andreev.

The Russian Supreme Court reviewed two 2023 import cases: Copartner and Advance tyres from China, cleared through Vladivostok Customs as tyres for construction, mining and industrial machinery not used on public roads, enjoyed a preferential 5% duty and no anti-dumping levy. Customs reclassified them as truck tyres, raising the rate to 10%, with a further 32.14% anti-dumping duty on Guizhou Tyre products. Arbitration courts initially sided with the importers, but the Supreme Court upheld Customs, citing non-compliance with the Russian GOST standard for construction-machinery tyres and rims and a certificate of conformity listing the goods as truck/trailer/bus/trolleybus tyres, which conflicts with the targeted nature of tariff preferences. FTS data: reclassification added RUB 8.52bn in 2024 and RUB 9.94bn in 2025, while classification rulings fell from 45.5k to 37.4k. FTS advises importers to seek an advance classification ruling. Impact on Chinese sellers: Confirmed impact: for Chinese goods subject to anti-dumping measures and preferential rates, the burden of proof has effectively shifted to the importer — a declared name or intended use is not enough; objective specifications and standards compliance are required.

FTS head Valery Pikalyov told President Putin that the goods-arrival confirmation system (SPOT) has produced no recorded case of import difficulty since launch; Putin specifically asked about the QR-code stage and queues, and was told there were none. SPOT has been in force since 1 June: Russian importers must file an advance application with the tax service for road shipments from EAEU countries, receive a QR code that customs verifies, and the mechanism includes a forthcoming-supply document plus a security payment, with a one-month deferral transition for the payment. Pikalyov said the service met its 2025 forecast target by more than 99%; FTS is working to cut truck dwell time at border crossings to 10 minutes and to switch to Russian software. Since May, declarations are automatically distributed among electronic declaration centres nationwide to reduce corruption risks. Putin ordered faster modernisation of checkpoints in Khabarovsk Krai, calling a 2030 deadline too distant. Impact on Chinese sellers: Confirmed impact: importers shipping by road from EAEU countries (including transit via Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus) must complete the SPOT filing and security payment in advance. Inferred: whether the same procedure applies to direct China–Russia crossings or non-road channels is not covered by the report; applicability to be confirmed.

After President Putin on 17 September placed the Russian assets of Nestle, Auchan, Lemana PRO and FM Logistic under the temporary management of L.E.V. Management, the Russian units of Nestle and Auchan issued near-identical official statements on the evening of 21 September saying the move «is not a nationalisation of the company or a change of owner». Both pledged to «unconditionally fulfil all obligations» to customers, partners and employees and said cooperation with L.E.V. Management would support development and efficiency. Kommersant notes that temporary management means foreign owners cannot vote, receive dividends or take decisions in governance bodies; the manager may not dispose of or sell the asset. In past practice, temporary management was usually a pre-sale stage, with deals typically concluded within six to eight months; a transfer of assets into federal ownership was also considered. Impact on Chinese sellers: Confirmed impact: Chinese suppliers with supply, warehousing or platform ties to these retailers see no interruption in contractual obligations or store operations for now. Inferred: if past practice repeats, ownership changes and contract renegotiation could occur in the first half of 2027; applicability to be confirmed.

L.E.V. Management sent a letter to the management of Lemana PRO (the former Leroy Merlin business in Russia) pledging to preserve the unified retail network and the existing management system and stating there are «no plans to change the current top management». The letter stressed that the companys stable operation is «directly linked to supplying the population and the construction industry with home and renovation goods». Lemana PRO said stores operate as usual and that obligations to customers, partners and employees are being met in full. The temporary manager had sent a similar letter to Auchan on 20 September. The 17 September decree also placed the Russian legal entities of FM Logistic and Nestle under temporary management. Impact on Chinese sellers: Inferred: Lemana PRO is a major channel for home improvement and renovation categories, so supply chains and payment terms are likely to hold in the near term. Applicability to be confirmed: the report does not cover existing supplier contracts or settlement terms.

According to RBC, budget receipts under the automated simplified tax system (AUSN) reached RUB 184bn, exceeding the combined proceeds of the professional income tax (self-employed) and the patent system. AUSN operates on a pilot basis in several regions: tax is calculated automatically by the tax service from account transactions and most insurance contributions are not payable, making the regime attractive for small services and trade. Impact on Chinese sellers: Inferred: the regime is becoming a mainstream option for small businesses, so Chinese sellers registering a legal entity or sole proprietorship in Russia should include it in their tax comparison. Applicability to be confirmed: thresholds, the regional list and availability to non-residents or foreign-owned entities are not stated.

Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Sazanov said at the Moscow Financial Forum that licensing of wholesale and retail trade in tobacco and nicotine-containing products launches on 1 October 2026, with all licensing requirements becoming mandatory from 1 March 2027 and a transition period for retail outlets until 1 March 2028. The Ministry expects around RUB 50bn of additional revenue in 2027 and a fall in the illicit share from the current 11–12% to 6–7%; the grey market currently costs the budget about RUB 100–120bn a year. For vapes and nicotine liquids the illicit share is estimated at 70–80%, and from 1 March 2027 Russian regions may impose a full retail ban. Impact on Chinese sellers: Confirmed impact (for those handling tobacco and nicotine products in Russia): from March 2027 trading without a licence is impossible, and vapes face possible full regional bans. Inferred: marketplace listing and qualification checks for these categories are likely to tighten. Applicability to be confirmed: the report does not say whether the requirements apply to cross-border sellers or non-Russian entities.

NYMEX data: cocoa beans fell 10.64% over the week, the largest weekly drop since February; at Fridays close, December futures were down 7.71% to $5,300 per tonne. Over three weeks prices are down about 20% — on 31 August they stood at $6,700 per tonne. Experts interviewed by Kommersant attribute the decline to favourable weather in West Africa and to producers cutting cocoa content during the price peak, which reduced demand. They also note that retail chocolate prices in many countries have not fallen correspondingly, likely due to long-term contracts signed at higher prices. Impact on Chinese sellers: Inferred: the raw-material decline could feed through to confectionery procurement costs over coming months, though long-term contracts will delay it. Applicability to be confirmed: the impact on Russian cocoa product pricing is not quantified.

The National Bakery Union (NSKh) wrote to the Federal Antimonopoly Service on 15 September asking it to review the justification for higher purchase prices of fat-and-oil products: in August margarine and milk-fat substitutes rose 15–20% month on month for producers, September is expected to bring +30% versus July, and up to 60% for milk-fat substitutes. The head of the Russian Bakers Union says margarine has risen about 30% on average in recent months. OleoScope data: January–July palm oil imports totalled 491k tonnes (-22.2% y/y), palm kernel oil 55k tonnes (-25.7%); average palm oil price about $1,200 per tonne (+12.5% vs January). The cause is the 30 July attack on the port of Taman, which disabled the main vegetable oil transshipment terminal; supplies are being rerouted via St Petersburg. In retail, August wheat bread averaged RUB 124.6/kg (+10.1% y/y) and enriched buns RUB 403.9/kg (+10.7%). Margarine accounts for 10–17% of the cost of sweet flour products and under 2% of staple bread. Impact on Chinese sellers: Inferred: cost pressure in bakery and confectionery categories will persist at least until port logistics recover. Applicability to be confirmed: the report does not address imports of oils from China or substitution with finished imports.

The Bank of Russia published official rates effective 22 September: USD 84.0954 (-10.21 kopecks), EUR 96.3733 (-29.38 kopecks), CNY 12.5448. On the Moscow Exchange the yuan stood at RUB 12.495 at 19:00, down 8.7 kopecks from the previous close, with the rouble firming as exporters prepare for the 28 September tax period. PSB analyst Yevgeny Loktyukhov sees no strong trigger for the yuan/rouble pair to break out of the 12.3–12.8 range; TKB Investment Partners analyst Maxim Gladskikh expects the end-month tax peak to keep supporting the rouble. The CBR ran a one-day fine-tuning repo auction placing RUB 700bn against demand of RUB 2.2trn at an average rate of 14.27%. Since 8 June the official euro rate is derived from the US dollar rate and the ECBs 15:30 EUR/USD rate. Impact on Chinese sellers: Confirmed impact: the yuan conversion rate for settlements stays within 12.3–12.8; a firmer rouble helps rouble-denominated local procurement but hurts conversion of rouble revenue into dollars or yuan. Inferred: exchange-rate swings around the end-month tax period should be factored into settlement timing. Applicability to be confirmed: the report does not address conversion channels for individual sellers.

First Deputy CBR Governor Vladimir Chistyukhin said at the Moscow Financial Forum that the Bank of Russia does not support launching an experimental legal regime (ELR) that would allow all participants, not only those engaged in foreign economic activity, to hold non-custodial crypto wallets, citing possible FATF problems. FATF classes such wallets as higher risk and its mission to Russia may take place in 2028. Chistyukhin stressed that Russia must not give the impression it has created a sanctions-circumvention tool, or stricter restrictions on ordinary payments could follow. He noted that non-custodial wallets are currently available to foreign-trade participants subject to transaction passports and bank control. The digital currency law in force since 1 September allows exporters and importers to use crypto for cross-border settlements without limits; non-qualified investors may buy only Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether USDT up to RUB 300k a year; liability for illegal intermediary activity is planned from 1 July 2027. Impact on Chinese sellers: Confirmed impact: the crypto cross-border settlement channel for foreign-trade participants (including Chinese sellers registered in Russia) remains open and unlimited, but opening wallets to the general public was explicitly rejected, so crypto wallets should not be treated as a consumer-facing collection method for now. Inferred: with the FATF assessment approaching, the regulatory stance may tighten further. Applicability to be confirmed: the report does not explain how non-residents access licensed intermediaries.

At 17:23 Moscow time, November Brent futures on ICE Futures stood at $99.97 a barrel, down $3.9 (3.75%) from the previous close — below $100 for the first time since 9 September. October WTI futures on NYMEX fell $4.65 (4.64%) to $95.65. The decline reflects expectations of renewed diplomacy over the US–Iran conflict: Donald Trump said he is open to meeting Masoud Pezeshkian, who plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. KCM Trade analyst Tim Waterer said the risk premium in oil prices is fading. By 19:00 Brent had edged back to $100.1 (-3.59% on the day) and WTI to $95.75 (-4.53%). Impact on Chinese sellers: Inferred: lower oil prices weaken export-revenue support for the rouble and, over the medium term, put reverse pressure on the yuan/rouble rate, affecting conversion of rouble revenue. Applicability to be confirmed: the magnitude and lag of pass-through into Russian logistics fuel costs are not quantified.

According to the Russian Fishery Union, based on China Customs data, January–August 2026 Russian fish and seafood exports to China reached $3.05bn, up 1.5x year on year, with volumes up 19% to 926k tonnes. Frozen pollock: +25% in volume and nearly 1.8x in value to 470k tonnes worth $844m; frozen cod: +25% and 1.8x to 65k tonnes worth $523m; live crab: +20% and 30% to 28k tonnes worth $790m; frozen crab: +45% and 2x to 5k tonnes worth $99m; surimi about 16k tonnes worth over $45m. The Union links higher cod prices to the Joint Russian-Norwegian Fisheries Commission decision to cut the 2026 Barents Sea Atlantic cod TAC by 16% to 347k tonnes (Russian share 133k tonnes). Crab catch in January–August rose 9% to 62k tonnes. Impact on Chinese sellers: Inferred: structural growth in food exports to China indicates that clearance and demand channels for this category remain open on the Chinese side. Applicability to be confirmed: this is Russian exports to China and does not directly map to Chinese cross-border sellers assortment for Russian consumers.