Vedomosti learned about the termination of deliveries of Honor smartphones to Russia

At the same time, the sources of the publication emphasizedthat the Chinese company is currently looking for partners in the CIS to resume deliveries to RUSSIA on parallel imports

The Chinese manufacturer of smartphones Honor, previously owned by HUAWEI, has suspended official deliveries of devices to Russia. This was told to Vedomosti by a source in one of the distributors of electronics and confirmed by an interlocutor in the telecom market, close to a large operator.

She did not make official statements about leaving the Russian market against the backdrop of Honor, however, the supply of devices from this manufacturer to Russia ceased in March, the sources said. Now the Chinese company is looking for partners in Armenia, Georgia and has already reached an agreement in Uzbekistan to import smartphones to Russia through parallel imports, one of them specified. “The expansion of the network of distributors in the CIS countries may indicate that Honor is going to resume deliveries to Russia,” he added.

As Mikhail Burmistrov, CEO of Infoline-analytics, explained to the publication, although consumer electronics from CHINA are not subject to restrictions, working with distributors in the CIS will allow the company to reduce sanctions risks. “Such a format for minimizing risks for them, taking into account the possible negative consequences of secondary sanctions, looks as logical as possible. Reducing risks when working with Russia and limiting supplies without any loud statements is now the policy of many Chinese companies,” Burmistrov said.

According to MTS, the share of Honor in the Russian smartphone market in the first quarter of 2022 was 3.5% in physical terms and 3.4% in monetary terms. In the second quarter, the figures were 4.2 and 5.0%, respectively.

In Russia, there were problems with the activation of Samsung smartphones Business

In early June, the outlets of another major Chinese smartphone seller, Huawei, began to close in Russia, according to a RIA Novosti source close to the company. According to the interlocutor of the agency, the main reason for the closure of outlets in Russia was the lack of products in warehouses, as well as the fall in demand for smartphones.

At the same time, a source close to Huawei told RBC that the company does not have its own stores in Russia. According to him, this is a business of partners who have decided to close some of the stores. The reason for the closure of outlets was the lack of goods, which made it unprofitable to maintain stores, the interlocutor of RBC added.

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At the end of March, the Russian government legalized parallel imports to meet the demand for in-demand foreign goods. The list includes electronics, including game consoles, furniture, weapons and ammunition, as well as APPLE and Samsung appliances.

At the same time, parallel import does not mean the legalization of counterfeit goods, the measure involves the import of original goods, but through alternative supply channels.

After Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, the US authorities imposed sanctions on the EXPORT of high-tech products. According to them, American companies must obtain licenses to export electronics, computers, avionics, components for the aerospace industry and other products to Russia. After that, American Apple announced the suspension of product deliveries to Russia and the restriction of the company's services, including the Apple Pay payment system. Then the supply of smartphones, chips and consumer electronics was suspended by the South Korean Samsung and a number of other companies.

At the end of 2021, Samsung ranked first in the Russian smartphone market with a share of 32.1%, MTS estimated. Apple was third (15.2%), followed by the Chinese Xiaomi with sub-brand Poco (29.1%). They were followed by Realme - 5% and Honor - 3.8%.