According to customs records obtained by Reuters, Acer (2353. TW) sold at least $70.4 million worth of computer hardware to Russia between April 8, 2022, and March 31, 2023.
Acer’s actions were lawful, but according to customs records from a commercial trade data provider, Dell (DELL.N) and HP (HPE.N) stopped shipments in February and April 2022, respectively, after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to records, Acer’s fully-owned company in Switzerland and many delivery services ordered by that subsidiary supplied equipment to Russia.
The supplies didn’t violate Taiwan’s Russia restrictions because they came from elsewhere. Switzerland’s sanctions policy, similar to the EU’s, did not restrict exports.
On April 8, 2018, Acer stated, “Due to recent developments, Acer has decided to suspend its business in Russia.”
Acer Taiwan stated that “we strictly adhere to applicable international regulations and trade laws regarding exports to Russia” regarding subsequent exports via Swiss subsidiary Acer Sales International SA.
The Swiss company “had not shipped any laptops or desktops to Russia since April 8 last year” but had supplied a “limited number of displays and accessories to the Russian market for civilian daily use while ensuring compliance with international sanctions.”
Acer did not explain why it was sent to Russia after claiming it would stop.
According to a source who requested anonymity, Acer’s PC monitors and laptops were still sent to Russia after April 2022.
Acer products still sold in Russia were not traceable by Reuters.
Swiss and EU sanctions authorized laptop and computing component exports to Russia until December 16, 2022. Acer stopped delivering the banned items to Russia from Switzerland after that date.
Reuters reported that Russian importers may have bought Acer devices from third countries. “Nothing has changed” since April 2022, Acer’s Russian unit replied to emails.
According to IDC Russia, Acer sold 18.5% of PCs in Russia in the fourth quarter of 2021, while HP and Dell sold 20.8%. Foreign-made goods are still available to Russian consumers despite international sanctions.
Nordic Star partner Artem Zhavoronkov said Acer risked reputational damage. At a recent meeting in Japan, G7 leaders tightened Russia’s sanctions and stopped its evasion.
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