Russian customers who are looking for a new iPhone 14, will be able to buy it despite Apple’s ongoing suspension on physical product sales in the nation. The following announcement was made by Russia’s trade minister on Thursday.
According to the reports, “Denis Manturov announced that the Apple handset, unveiled Wednesday in a splashy California event, will be available as a “parallel import.” Under this mechanism, the retailers in Russia can buy foreign products without the producer or trademark holder’s authorization, by going through non-Russian intermediaries that have legally bought the goods.
At the Eastern Economic Forum event in Vladivostok, Russia, Manturov said that, “Why not? If buyers want to purchase these telephones, be my guest. There will be such a possibility.”
The “parallel import” system allows Russian companies to legally import goods to Russia without the producer’s permission. It was introduced in March, as Western companies, including Apple, scrambled to stop all exports to Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.
A comprehensive list of products cleared for “parallel import” was released in June, and it is periodically updated. Some Apple products were already included in the list- but now Manturov’s announcement confirms that Russians will also be able to get an upgrade.