“My product is good and I’ve found a buyer — the rest is logistics.” This is the sentence we hear most often from manufacturers looking at the Russian market for the first time. In practice, the part that begins after the contract is signed takes longer than everything before it: settling the correct customs code, establishing whether the product falls under mandatory labelling, the documents and the system record.
This article looks first at three concrete facts about the size of the market, and then at why product quality alone is not enough to enter it. The aim is not to present market research; it is to show what the figures mean for an exporter in practice.
Fact 1: trade volume at around USD 49 billion
As reported in publicly available sources, foreign trade volume between Türkiye and Russia reached approximately USD 49 billion in 2025 — a figure that shows economic ties between the two countries continuing at strength.
What that means in practice for an exporter is this: Russia is not an untested market. The processes, the brokers, the logistics routes and the regulatory practice are all established. That is good news, because uncertainty is lower. It also raises expectations: the other side expects to work with a supplier who knows the process.
Note: the figures quoted here are compiled from publicly available sources. For a concrete investment or export decision, confirm current data from official statistics.
Fact 2: Russia ranks second in imports after China
According to 2025 data, Russia became Türkiye’s second largest import partner after China. The relationship is not one-directional: there is a mutual and deepening trade flow between the two countries.
For an exporter this means two things. First, there are many importers and brokers on the other side who are used to working with Türkiye. Second, competition is correspondingly intense: several Turkish suppliers in the same product group may be looking at the same buyer. In that situation the difference usually comes not from price but from the process running smoothly.
Fact 3: exports are not concentrated in one sector
Many Turkish companies currently export to Russia in the following product groups:
- textiles and ready-made clothing,
- footwear,
- cosmetics and perfumery,
- food products,
- building materials,
- machinery and industrial equipment.
This diversity shows the market does not depend on a single sector. But look at the same list through the lens of labelling and the picture changes: the first four items are precisely where mandatory labelling applies most heavily. A significant share of textiles, footwear, cosmetics and food falls under Chestny Znak, and the scope widens every year.
In other words, the list of “most exported products to Russia” and the list of “products subject to mandatory labelling” overlap to a large degree. We covered the textile side in a separate article, and the categories newly brought into scope in the 2026 timetable.
What the figures do not tell you
Market size shows an opportunity, not a state of readiness. Whether a product can be sold in Russia and whether it can be brought into Russia are separate questions.
The most common misconception we see in the field is leaving the compliance process until after the sale: the buyer is found, the price agreed, samples sent — while labelling and documents are deferred on the assumption that “the broker will handle it”. But labelling is not a formality resolved at customs; it is a process that starts before production — codes are generated, applied to the product and reported to the system.
Four prerequisites for a successful export
1. Settling the correct customs code. The code determines not only the duty but which set of requirements applies to the product: labelling scope, conformity documents, label content. An incorrect code sets the whole chain up wrongly. Not confusing an HS code with a GTIN is part of this step.
2. Checking whether the product falls under Chestny Znak. This check is made against the customs code, not the product name. We collected the scope list in our article on products and customs codes; you can test your own code quickly with our Chestny Znak status check.
3. Preparing the required documents and certificates. Conformity documents, technical regulations, packaging and label requirements vary by product group. Consistency between documents — company address, product description, quantity — is one of the most frequent causes of delay.
4. Planning the logistics properly. Route, delivery terms and the division of responsibilities must be explicit in the contract. Some product groups are out of scope or restricted; check the list of banned and restricted goods at the planning stage.
Why “I have an EAC certificate” is not enough
This is the assumption we encounter most often among foreign manufacturers. The EAC conformity mark and Chestny Znak labelling are not interchangeable; they answer different questions.
EAC shows the product complies with technical requirements. Chestny Znak shows that each individual unit is registered and traceable in the system. For a product within scope, EAC alone is not sufficient; without a Data Matrix code the goods do not clear customs.
Where competition is actually won
Where several Turkish suppliers compete in the same product group, what distinguishes them for the buyer is usually these three: confidence in the delivery date, consistency in the documents and a shipment that passes without incident. All three depend on the labelling and document side being set up properly.
A shipment held at the border is not only a cost; on a first order it is a loss of confidence. In our published case study we set out step by step how a single check before loading prevented an additional cost of USD 10,000–15,000, along with the delay.
A first shipment and a repeat shipment are not the same job
When the decision to enter the market is taken, people usually picture a single “export process”. In practice the two diverge.
A first shipment is a set-up exercise: the customs code is settled, scope is determined, the document set is assembled, roles on the Russian side fall into place and the labelling flow runs end to end for the first time. Problems found at this stage usually concern not the product but the parties working from different information — a document carrying an old address, an incomplete product description, data the importer does not have.
In repeat shipments the set-up already exists and risk shifts to timing. Code generation dates, delays in batch preparation and updates to the scope list come to the fore. The preparation time spent on a first shipment is therefore not a cost but an investment that returns on every shipment after it.
The practical conclusion: when quoting a delivery date for a first order, include the preparation time. Giving the buyer a realistic date is always better than reporting a delay later.
Where to start?
The order matters; most problems come from getting it wrong:
- first the customs code is settled,
- then scope is checked (does labelling apply or not),
- then the document list is drawn up,
- then production and labelling are planned,
- and only at the end are logistics and the shipping date discussed.
When that order is reversed — labelling coming up only after production is finished and a date has been given — corrections have to be made on a finished batch. Our pre-shipment checklist was written precisely to prevent that.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to set up a company in Russia to enter the market?
Not necessarily; exporting can be handled through an importer or authorised representative in Russia. However, generating Chestny Znak codes is within the authority of the Russian party, not the foreign manufacturer. The division of roles therefore needs to be explicit in the contract.
How do I know whether my product is within scope?
The check is made against the customs code, not the product name; two products with the same name can fall under different codes and different requirements. Start by entering your code in our lookup tool, then confirm the result for your specific consignment.
Does the scope list change?
Yes. Scope has widened over the years and new product groups are added on staged timetables. A finding of “not in scope” made a year ago may no longer hold; repeat the check before each new shipment.
Can I rely on these figures?
The trade data in this article is compiled from publicly available sources and is intended to give a general picture. If you are making an investment or pricing decision, confirm the current position from official statistics.
How long does the process take?
It varies: with the product group, whether the documents are ready and how prepared the Russian side is. What determines the outcome is not the customs procedure itself but the preparation before it — where preparation is complete, import formalities can take hours rather than days.
The opportunity is in the market; the obstacle is in the preparation
Russia remains a large and varied market for Turkish manufacturers. But benefiting from that opportunity depends as much on setting up the process as on the quality of the product. That the most-exported product groups are also the groups where labelling applies most heavily is no coincidence: a manufacturer wanting to enter this market will almost always meet Chestny Znak. Our broader assessment of trading with Russia is in a separate article.
Global Znak manages the Russian export process end to end for Turkish manufacturers, with offices in Moscow, Istanbul and Podgorica and membership of RTIB. Get in touch for a free initial assessment — let us work out together which requirements apply to your product, from the customs code through labelling scope to the document list. You can see our service packages on the Solutions page, and our other guides in the News and Guides section.
Note: This article is compiled from publicly available sources and our own field experience. It is for information only and does not replace legal, financial or investment advice. Trade data is given for general context. Regulations, scope lists and technical requirements may change. Confirm the current position for any specific shipment.
