Russia's Industry and Trade Ministry to add contact lenses from number of producers to range of goods subject to parallel imports within two weeks

MOSCOW. May 26 (Interfax) - Russia's Industry and Trade Ministry will in the course of two weeks add contact lenses produced by several manufacturers to the list of goods subject to parallel imports, with the measure aimed at certain provision of this product for the Russian market, the ministry's press service said at a statement on Friday.

"The Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade will add contact lenses from manufacturers such as Alcon Laboratories Inc., Bausch & Lomb, and Johnson & Johnson to the list of parallel imports within two weeks," the ministry said.

Given that under the new sanctions the practice of issuing export licenses for these goods has not yet taken shape, this measure will be preventive, aimed at certain provision of these products for the Russian market, the statement said.

"In the future, if official deliveries are preserved, these products may be excluded from the list," the ministry said.

Previously, the Industry and Trade Ministry reported that countries other than the United States do not intend to stop supplying contact lenses to Russia. The ministry also noted that there is spare capacity at Russian facilities for the production of intraocular lenses ("artificial lens" - they are mainly purchased by state medical organizations), which will allow to fully cover Russian domestic needs. Seven organizations produce soft lenses in Russia. Russian manufacturers supply their products for export. Four companies produce rigid lenses in Russia.

Last year, the volume of contact lens production in Russia increased by about 30% in volume terms compared with the previous year. The total volume of shipments of contact lenses by enterprises in Russia increased by 33% in volume terms compared with 2021, the ministry said.