The rate on beer would rise more than threefold, from the current €1.5 to €5 per litre. The duty was raised to €1.5 in September 2025; from January of that year it stood at €1, and before that at €0.1 per litre.
Strong alcohol from "unfriendly countries" currently carries a duty of 20% of value, but no less than €3 per litre. The authorities discussed raising the minimum rate to €5 in the spring: Kommersant wrote that the Finance Ministry planned to introduce it from May 1, 2026, but the decision was never taken.
According to Reuters, raising the duty on strong alcohol from January 1, 2027, could bring the budget an additional 10 billion rubles a year in 2027–2029. The draft budget materials also show that excise duties on alcohol and tobacco will rise by 6.5% in 2027.
Over the 12 months to April 2026, the Russian alcohol market shrank by 1.2%, Reuters reports, citing Nielsen data. Beer accounts for 85.2% of sales in volume terms, while strong alcohol and vodka account for 11.2%. The share of imported beer in the first quarter was 3.1%.
Previous increases in the rate on beer have already prompted some suppliers to change their routes: according to Kommersant, they began importing products through Belarus and Kazakhstan to save money. The outlet reported this citing a letter from Opora Rossii to the Finance Ministry.