Russia Suspends Sale, Import of Drinks From Several Georgian Producers, RBC Reports
Russia has suspended the import and sale of some alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks — including Nabeghlavi and Coca-Cola — from several key Georgian producers, Russian media outlet RBC reported, citing a document from the Russian consumer rights and public health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, as well as sources from the “alcohol market” and retailers.
Among the producers subject to “temporary sanitary measures” are Nabeghlavi mineral water produced by Healthy Water, Coca-Cola produced in Georgia, beer produced by Georgian Beer Company, wines produced by Teliani Valley, Tbilvino, and Wineman, as well as wine and cognac produced by Askaneli Brothers. The report does not indicate the period of suspension.
The outlet says that according to the Rospotrebnadzor document, “a temporary sanitary measure was introduced to suspend the import and circulation within the country of products that do not comply with established requirements for organoleptic and physicochemical indicators, as well as safety indicators.”
RBC quoted representatives of the retail industry, including the Association of Companies of Omnichannel Retail Trade (ACORT) and Auchan, the Russian subsidiary of French retailer Auchan recently placed under temporary administration by Russian authorities, as confirming that the products were being removed from stores following instructions from Rospotrebnadzor.
Zurab Margvelashvili, director of Tbilvino, one of the companies whose production has been suspended, told TV Pirveli on October 10 that his colleagues had shared the information with the company the day before. He called the reason reportedly cited by Moscow about failure of companies to comply with the requirements “made-up,” comparing the suspension with 2006 embargo imposed by Russia on Georgian products.
In spring 2006, Russia similarly banned the imports of Georgian wine and mineral water, a move seen at the time as part of Moscow’s strategy to put pressure on the westward-looking Tbilisi.
Georgia’s Key Export Product to Russia
Wine has been Georgia’s main export product to Russia, with Georgia exporting USD 102 million worth of wine to Russia in the first eight months of 2026, according to official data provided by the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat). Next come spirituous drinks with USD 79,6 million worth of exports in the same period, while mineral waters also make one of the top export products to Russia, with USD 55,8 million worth of natural and mineral waters exported n January-August 2026.
Separately, Russia has been the main export destination for these products.
With wine, it is followed by Poland, which has imported USD 10,7 million worth of wine during the same period, nearly ten times less compared to Russia, while EU as a whole has imported wine worth of USD 24,6 million in the first eight months of 2026.
As for spirituous drinks, next comes Armenia with USD 20,6 million worth of exports, nearly four times less compared to Russia, while USD 10,8 million worth of spirituous drinks have been exported to the EU market in the first eight months of 2026.
With water, Kazakhstan is second-biggest market for Georgian exports, with USD 23,1 million worth of the product exported in January-August 2026. The exports to the EU during the same period amounted to USD 13.4 million.
Last updated: October 11, 2026, 16:02 Tbilisi time.
Also Read:
- 03/08/2023 – Georgia Imposes Restrictions on Export of Passenger Cars to Russia and Belarus
- 12/03/2010 – Saakashvili: Russia’s Embargo Failed