News Feed

Media: Campari files lawsuit in Russia, demands stop to Aperol imports

2 min read
Media: Campari files lawsuit in Russia, demands stop to Aperol imports
Aperol bottles in a store in Bergamo, Italy on September 4, 2023. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Milan-based Campari Group, which owns the Italian drink brand Aperol, has filed a lawsuit in Russia to demand a stop to Aperol imports, independent Russian media outlet Meduza reported on Oct. 5.

The lawsuit was filed in Rostov against the local distributor Master-Trade, which Campari Group believes imports and sells Aperol without permission.

Meduza cited information provided to the Russian business newspaper Kommersant, which suggests Campari may not have responded to requests from the Russian customs service as to whether the goods have permission to be imported.

If the owner of the brand does not answer the service, "the goods are passed through" customs anyway and allowed into the country.

A hearing for the case is scheduled for October 30, Meduza reported.

In April 2022, Campari Group said it had "stopped all investments" in Russia, including advertising and promotions, and "reduced the business to the bare minimum necessary to pay the salaries of our colleagues."

"We are monitoring the situation closely and are open to reconsider our position accordingly," Campari said.

However, Campari's continued presence in Russia led some Ukrainian bar owners to boycott the group's brands and remove drinks like Aperol Spritz from their menu over the summer of 2023.

According to the Kyiv School of Economic's #LeaveRussia campaign, the revenue volumes of the Campari Group increased in 2022 compared to the 2021 level.

Ukraine designates Bacardi as ‘international sponsor of war’
Ukraine’s National Corruption Prevention Agency (NACP) added the world’s largest private alcohol company Bacardi Limited to the “international sponsors of war” list on Aug. 10. The Bermudian company continues to do business in Russia during its all-out war against Ukraine.
Article image
Avatar
Elsa Court

Audience Development Manager

Elsa Court is the audience development manager at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a news editor at the Kyiv Independent and was an intern at the Kyiv Post in 2018. She has a Master’s in Conflict Studies and Human Rights from Utrecht University. Elsa is originally from the UK.

Read more
News Feed
Video

The Kyiv Independent's Deputy Chief Editor Oleksiy Sorokin spoke with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa during her visit to Kyiv on July 15, following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of his deal with NATO to arm Ukraine and his threat to impose severe sanctions on Russia if it doesn't reach a peace deal with Ukraine within the next 50 days.

Show More