It is no secret that we have exporters who were loading goods onto the warehouses of well-known marketplaces. They are promised compensation, but let's see. For now, the reality is that you can end up with neither goods nor money.

According to the expert, after attacks on the warehouses of the largest Russian marketplaces, the number of inquiries about insurance has sharply increased. "After this happened, everyone wants to be insured," he said. Not all risks, in his opinion, can be predicted. The speaker explained what the scheme for insuring export contracts looks like, presenting a detailed diagram on a slide.

[Photo] Slide from Alexey Makeev's presentation

Alexey Makeev also answered a question that exporters often ask: "Why can't you insure my risks at 100%? I am willing to pay." The answer sounded logical:

"If an exporter is not prepared to bear even 10% of the responsibility for their choice, perhaps they are not ready for serious foreign economic activity at all. Insurance covers the main part of the risk, but a small share remains on the conscience of the entrepreneur himself." And this, in the speaker's opinion, is correct.

"Almost no Western brands left in the registry"

[Photo] Mikhail Khodosevich

Associated Partner at the law firm Arzinger.

Mikhail Khodosevich told the audience about customs registries of intellectual property objects — a tool that helps protect brands from counterfeits and "gray" imports. At the same time, the speaker noted:

"The customs registry is not a guarantee of legal protection for your brand. Before using the registry, you must make sure that your brand is registered as a trademark in a specific territory. Without this — nothing."

The expert noted that the structure of right holders in the registry has changed dramatically over the past four years. Previously, there were many Western, Japanese, and South Korean brands.

Now there are virtually no Western brands left. Their place has been taken by Chinese companies — they now make up 50–60% of the registry.

"The problem for Belarusian entrepreneurs is that the Chinese are not very cooperative in this regard. If you want to import goods without the approval of the official Chinese manufacturer, the Chinese are difficult to persuade to make such concessions and do not always allow shipments."

Instead of a conclusion

At the conference, it was said unanimously: one must be prepared for the rules of the game to change rapidly. Those who master the new mechanisms and learn to insure risks will gain an advantage. The rest will have to catch up.

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