State Duma takes first step toward systematic fight against counterfeit in construction market
The State Duma adopted in the first reading a bill that introduces a new mechanism for controlling the quality of construction materials and other industrial products. The document, submitted by the government, is designed to protect the market from counterfeits and unfair competition.
The bill was developed pursuant to an instruction from President Vladimir Putin following a meeting with business representatives in May 2025. Its key innovation is the introduction, from September 1, 2026, of federal state control (supervision) over compliance with mandatory requirements for certain types of industrial products. These requirements are established in accordance with EAEU norms and Russian legislation on technical regulation.
Rosstandart will be responsible for monitoring compliance. Manufacturers, sellers and contractors will come under its scrutiny. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, together with Rosstandart and the Ministry of Economic Development, has already compiled a list of priority product groups that will be subject to the new oversight. These include:
- cement, construction mixtures and mortars;
- heating radiators and heating convectors;
- concrete construction products;
- thermoplastic pipes and pipeline fittings;
- children’s playground equipment and coverings;
- agricultural and forestry tractors, trailers for them;
- amusement rides and other products.
Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, when announcing the bill back in February, stressed that control is needed primarily for goods used in construction. “Their quality affects the safety and health of citizens, and it is important to exclude the possibility of counterfeit entering the market,” the head of the Cabinet said. The government expects the new procedure to protect people from fakes and honest producers from unfair competition.
Igor Igoshin, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Competition Protection, drew attention to the scale of the problem in a conversation with journalists: “Low‑quality and illegal goods in circulation not only lead to a shortfall in budget revenue for the country, but also pose a threat of accidents, failure of infrastructure facilities and man‑made disasters. Not to mention the damage that the sale of illegal products inflicts on the business climate in the state.”
At the same time, practice already proves the effectiveness of such an approach. As Igoshin noted, after Rosstandart introduced control over the quality of motor fuel, the share of low‑quality product fell from 20% in 2016 to 3.9% in the past two years. Now a similar mechanism may also be implemented in the construction market.
