Apple iPhone 14 available for Russians to buy thanks to country's import scheme: report
Feline Lim

In March, Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) banned the sale of its products in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine, but the country's trade minister said on Thursday the newly announced devices from the tech giant would be available to buy, thanks to the country's parallel import scheme.
"Why not? If consumers want to buy these phones, yes," Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov proclaimed according to Reuters, which cited Russia's RIA Novosti news agency. "There will be the opportunity."
The parallel import scheme, announced in March, lets authorized retailers import products from other countries without the trademark owner's permission, Reuters added.
On Wednesday, Apple (AAPL) unveiled four versions of the iPhone 14, as well as updated versions of the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro.
A search conducted by Seeking Alpha shows the iPhone 14 is available for sale on Russia mobile network MTS's website, the country's largest network.
Tele2 does not appear to offer the new Apple (AAPL) device for sale, but it does have several offerings from Chinese consumer electronics company Xiaomi, as well as Samsung (OTCPK:SSNLF), Apple's (AAPL) largest competitor in the smartphone market.
It is unclear if Russia's other major mobile networks, Megafon and Beeline, are planning to offer the new devices.
Cupertino, California-based Apple (AAPL) did not immediately respond to a request to comment from Seeking Alpha.
Following the product unveiling, analysts noted that Apple (AAPL) appears well-positioned for the holiday shopping season, despite increasing economic uncertainty.