« Support of Russia » asked the Ministry of Economy to speed up the withdrawal of the MRC for beer

Small brewers ask the Ministry of Economy to accelerate through the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) a decision on the introduction of minimum beer prices in Russian retail. They refer to the fact that they do not withstand competition with large manufacturers who can dumped due to a large volume of production, sometimes selling the goods even below the cost, or due to low quality products. The idea will cause a protest of transnational breweries of the EAEU, where they have a traditionally strong influence, experts warn.

The head of the “Rossiy of Russia” Alexander Kalinin asked the head of the Ministry of Economy Maxim Reshetnikov to speed up the consideration at the EEC level of the issue of canceling the ban on setting minimum retail prices (MRC) for alcohol by a fortress of up to 28%. “Kommersant” has a copy of the corresponding letter. The “support” confirmed the sending of the letter.

Now the MRC is installed mainly on strong alcohol from 28%, including vodka. If the EEC decides to remove the ban, this will allow you to set minimum retail prices for brewing products in Russia, writes Alexander Kalinin.

According to him, a similar measure is necessary « in connection with the frequent practice of selling such products at a price below the cost. » And this, according to Mr. Kalinin, negatively affects small companies that can’t stand competition with larger brewers.

The Ministry of Economy was informed “Kommersant” that the initiative to use the member states of the EAEU price regulation for alcohol products from 28% was developed by the Ministry of Finance (alcohol market regulator) and is submitted for consideration by the EEC. On the site of the commission, consideration of this initiative continues, added to the ministry. The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation, in turn, told Kommersant that the issue of MRC for beer can be considered only after amending the EAEU agreement to provide countries with the right to set minimum prices for all alcohol. Now, as explained in the ministry, this issue is being worked out as part of the working group in the EC.

According to the chairman of the Council of the Union of Russian brewers Daniil Briman, the introduction of MRC for beer is necessary to protect the Russian market from dumping and poor -quality products.

“It is worth considering the introduction of MRC for brewing products, including due to the fact that some manufacturers sell low-alcohol cocktails as beer drinks, such as Jin Tonic,” said Pavel Shapkin, head of the National Alcoholic Policy Development Center.

As reported by Kommersant on February 8sales of alcoholic cocktails decreased by 27.6% a year by the year. Experts explained this not by a fall in production, but by the release of cocktails under the guise of beer drinks.

According to Mr. Shapkin, large manufacturers are expectedly expected to install MRCs against the ban on breasts on brewing products. Such companies have the opportunity to pour drinks in large volumes, which allows them to sell cheaper than small brewery. Nevertheless, the expert is convinced, if the decision on the MRC is made, it should not significantly affect the cost and sales of beer. According to estimates, the optimal solution will be 120 rubles. for 1 liter.

In the Baltika brewed company, the United Pivovaren holding (former Heineken), Ab Inbev Efes and the Moscow brewing company did not respond to the Kommersant's request. Most of these companies are included in the Association of Producers of Beer, Solod and Drinks (APP). The Executive Director of the APP Vyacheslav Mamontov expressed the position of members of the association. According to him, the MRC was introduced in other segments of the alcoholic market as a way of combating illegal products in the absence of traceability mechanisms of alcoholic beverages and marking. In the brewer -breed industry, complete traceability of the products is ensured, and a decrease in the share of the shadow sector is possible due to the introduction of other tools, in particular the register of sellers, the expert adds. “In this case, the MRC can act as a mechanism rather than a competition than the struggle with the illegal market,” he argues.

However, it is unlikely that in the near future the issue of establishing MRC for brewing products can be considered, says Pavel Shapkin.

According to him, this requires the approval of all members of the EAEU, but in some of these countries the influence of transnational brewing companies that are categorically against minimal prices is strongly influenced.

According to the Rosalkoltabakcontrol, in January 2025, the volume of production in the country of beer from 0.5% to 8.6% increased by 7%, to 53.4 thousand decalpers (DAL), beer by a fortress above 8.6% – decreased by 1.5%, to 6.6 thousand gave. The release of beer drinks increased by 19.4%, to 7.5 thousand gave.

Vladimir Komarov