The main proof: the share of counterfeit non-freezers in retail approached 40%
The share of counterfeit washing and cooling liquids in retail approached 40%, sellers told Izvestia. The Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to introduce labeling for such products, including antifreeze and brake fluids. At the same time, control over the turnover of methanol in general, which is often used in counterfeit cooling and glass washing solutions, will be tightened. The relevant bill may be considered in the second reading as early as May. How this will help in the fight against counterfeiting is in the Izvestia article.
How will counterfeit auto fluids be dealt with
The State Duma plans to adopt in the second reading at the end of May a bill to tighten control over the turnover of methanol. As the Ministry of Industry and Trade informed Izvestia, the new law establishes a requirement for labeling methyl alcohol and technical liquids containing it. The procedure for monitoring such goods will be established by an authorized body determined by the government, the agency added.
According to the Public Consumer Initiative (OPI), this will make it possible to remove counterfeit automotive fluids from the market, including poisonous antifreeze for washing windows. Since 2007, the decree of the Chief sanitary Doctor of the Russian Federation has banned the use of methanol in its composition, the Ministry of Industry and Trade added.
Counterfeit glass washing liquids with methanol are widespread in the Russian market, especially in the low price segment. Up to 30-40% may be counterfeit or products with a violation of the composition, said Anastasia Lomachenko, Marketing Director of Avtorus Group. According to her, manufacturers use methanol because of its low cost, although its use in such products is legally prohibited.
The share of counterfeit antifreeze and brake fluids in 2024 was estimated at 25-35%, and in some regions it reaches 40-50%, the expert added.
These data are confirmed by Ilarion Demchikov, Marketing Director of the Emex auto parts marketplace. In the automotive fluids market, up to 30% of products may be counterfeit, this applies not only to antifreeze, but also to antifreeze, brake fluids, and oils, he noted.
According to the OPI, the control can be carried out on the basis of a digital registry in the state information system of industry, where organizations and individual entrepreneurs working with methyl alcohol must be registered. It will also include carriers and persons engaged in the processing, sale and storage of methanol. This is done to prevent the ingress of toxic alcohol into food products and poisoning of people, the OPI noted.
— Methyl alcohol is a potent poison that tastes similar to ethyl alcohol. In recent years, cases of its ingestion into alcoholic beverages have become more frequent, which has led to mass poisoning of people, the press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade told Izvestia.
The law provides for the creation by the Ministry of a list of methanol-containing goods allowed for retail trade. If the product is not included in this list, then it cannot be sold at retail. At the same time, according to the Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT, the operator of the Honest Sign labeling), starting in 2025, control over the trade in special methanol-free liquids, which are most often forged, will also be introduced.
"Since March 2025, registration of participants in the turnover of special auto fluids has been launched in the Honest Sign labeling information system," the Central Trade Center told Izvestia. — And from September 1, manufacturers and importers will begin applying codes to antifreeze, washing, braking and other auto fluids. In addition, labeling of automotive oils is being introduced.
From December 1, the turnover of unmarked products will be prohibited. Further, starting from April 1, 2026, retailers will begin transmitting data on the withdrawal of goods from circulation to the Honest Sign system, the CRPT added.
According to the Union of Car Service Stations, methanol is often used instead of monoethylene glycol and glycol in fake antifreeze.
"The use of poor—quality car chemicals can lead to serious problems, from corrosion of the cooling system to brake failure and engine damage," Ilarion Demchikov told Izvestia.
Russia ranks fourth in terms of methanol production, accounting for about 5% of global production. It is also used for the manufacture of gasoline octane-enhancing additives, synthetic resins, agrochemicals and disinfectants, according to the explanatory note to the bill. It is also used for the production of paints, varnishes, solvents and other goods.
— It is very important that methanol from industry does not get into products where its use is prohibited. That's what labeling is for," Oleg Pavlov, the head of the OPI, told Izvestia.
How many toxic detergents and antifreeze are on the market
If we assume that only a product based on isopropyl alcohol is the correct detergent, and everything else is counterfeit, then according to subjective estimates, less than a quarter of the market is legal, auto expert Dmitry Denshov told Izvestia.
According to Avtorus Group, the main distribution channel is non—stationary retail outlets, car markets and marketplaces.
— Many motorists buy counterfeit antifreeze due to its cheapness and efficiency. It cleans the windshield better than liquids based on isopropyl alcohol," an expert from the Popular Front told Izvestia. Analytics", head of the NF working group "Protection of Motorists' Rights" Peter Shkumatov.
Methanol is extremely dangerous to human health if ingested, but when used for its intended purpose for washing car windows, no unequivocal harm to health has been recorded, the expert noted.
According to him, sellers of poisonous omyvaika in artisanal conditions mix alcohol with water, add flavors or perfumes, pour them into 4-5 liter cans and distribute them through ad sites or "by hand" along roads.
Counterfeit manufacturers often obtain methanol from industrial plants, where it is used as a technical solvent or antifreeze, Anastasia Lomachenko added.
Experts point out that methanol is harmful to a car if used in fake antifreeze.
"Methanol is cheaper than monoethylene glycol, it has a low boiling point, so the coolant based on it boils quickly with the formation of bubbles and the risk of local engine overheating,— Sintec technical expert Alexander Sosnovsky told Izvestia. — Counterfeiters also save on packages of inhibitors (additives), which is why the anticorrosive properties of such products are low. Methanol-based antifreeze corrodes aluminum motors from the inside.
Control over the turnover of methanol will help reduce the share of counterfeiting and complicate the access of counterfeit products to the retail market, the expert believes.
— The initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade to tighten control over the turnover of methanol is a step in the right direction, — said Ilya Plisov, member of the Board of the Union of Car Service Stations of the Russian Federation, Deputy Director of the EuroAuto network. — Without limiting access to basic raw materials, it is extremely difficult to combat illegal products. But it is also important to ensure effective implementation of the new requirements in practice.
The draft law on the turnover of methanol provides for its mandatory denaturation. This means adding special substances that change the color, taste or smell of methanol, making it easily identifiable and less attractive for illegal use, the market participant noted.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
