Shuttle Trade Returns to Russia, Now to Evade Sanctions

Paul Goble

    Staunton, May 3 – In the 1990s, Russians regularly engaged in what became known as “shuttle” trade, with people travelling abroad to buy goods not readily available at home and then returning them for sale. Now, that phenomenon has returned with a vengeance with Russians doing the same thing to bring in goods subject to sanctions and counter-sanctions.

    According to Russian officials, the number of cases the authorities have brought charges on has nearly doubled since the start of Putin’s expanded war in Ukraine, from 258 in 2022 to 410 last year and continues to grow (https://cjh.tgsession.com/3sw657_4xjomzl/7hz2608126/1kaytbo-wqlkut

    As was true 30 years ago when shuttle trade began,  the number of Russians arrested for violating the law by such practices is only the tip of the iceberg of a phenomenon that now likely involves hundreds if not thousands of those who still regularly travel between Russian locations and other countries.