Exporting Supplements to Russia: What changes from March 1, 2026?

The Russian market has been implementing increasingly stringent traceability frameworks for consumer products in recent years, aiming for greater transparency throughout the supply chain.

In this context, dietary supplements are gradually coming into the spotlight, especially for companies that export, import or distribute in Russia through their partners.

If you are active in the Russian market, you are very likely wondering what is changing from 2026 and what this means in practice for your batches, deliveries and whether a product can smoothly reach the shelf or marketplaces without delays and obstacles to distribution.

What’s changing in dietary supplement labeling in Russia from March 1, 2026

From March 1, 2026, Russia is expanding the scope of mandatory labeling for certain categories of dietary supplements to Russia’s national traceability system, Honest Sign (Chestny Znak).

For the product groups now being added, compliance concerns not only packaging, but the entire management of the product within the Russian market, from the moment it enters circulation to the final sale.

New groups of supplements added to the mandatory regime

Mandatory labeling is now extended to new categories, the affiliation of which is strictly determined by their official classification. Whether a product requires Chestny Znak labeling depends on the combination of HS/TN VED codes (customs class) and OKPD2 (Russian product classification).

Because an incorrect classification can lead to the batch being blocked at customs or refused acceptance by marketplaces, it is crucial to confirm the codes in cooperation with the Russian importer or customs broker before any production or labeling.

Correct matching to official documents is the only guarantee for the smooth movement of your supplements on the Russian market.

“Full-cycle” traceability obligation for new products

For supplements added from March 2026, the logic is full-cycle. That is, it is not enough to simply put a DataMatrix code on the packaging. The code is linked to specific “events” within Honest Sign and follows the product throughout its entire journey, from commissioning, i.e. the declaration and introduction into circulation, to Movement events, the recording of movements in the distribution and supply chain, but also the final stage, Decommissioning, the deactivation at the point of sale, upon completion of the retail sale.

This practically means that compliance requires attention to various processes, from the organization of the products, to deliveries and cooperation with your local partners.

Transitional period for unlabeled stocks in the new categories

For supplements that are included in the mandatory regime from March 2026, a transitional margin is provided so as not to create obstacles to stocks in the movement or availability to retailers and marketplaces. Specifically, unlabeled stocks that have been produced or imported into Russia up to 28/02/2026 can be made available without mandatory labeling until 31/08/2027.

Fixed sell-through deadlines for unlabeled “legacy” supplements

For certain categories of supplements that were already subject to mandatory labeling before the 2026 changes, the way unlabeled stocks are managed is changing. The previous “until the end of shelf life” disposal logic is being replaced by specific, fixed sell-through dates, which depend on the shelf life of the product.

More specifically, unmarked stocks can be disposed of:

• until 08/31/2026, when the shelf life is up to 3 years
• until 08/31/2027, when the shelf life is over 3 years

For businesses operating in Russia, this means that proper batch and delivery planning becomes even more critical to avoid returns, rejections or “stockpiling” of products that can no longer be legally disposed of.

Special provision for importers: the “window” until 31/03/2026

There is a borderline scenario that mainly concerns importers and can create confusion in practice, for cases where the products have been purchased before 28/02/2026, but the batch is released by customs after 1/3/2026.

In these cases, the framework provides for a special compliance window, ensuring that the batches will not face problems during customs clearance or disposal due to the change of status.

Specifically, the possibility is given to apply mandatory marking until 31/03/2026, before the products are offered for sale. At the same time, the relevant marking data must be registered and submitted to the system, so that the batch can circulate normally on the market.

Hubin can help businesses operating in the Russian market manage Honest Sign (Chestny Znak) requirements in a more organized and consistent manner, centralizing control of labeling and data flow per product and batch, so that the process remains aligned with full-cycle track & trace (commissioning, movement events, decommissioning) and critical deadlines for inventory and imports, thus reducing the risk of delays, rejections at retailers/marketplaces and commercial disruptions in distribution.