On the technical side, the process has started: customs authorities no longer allow unmarked goods to cross the border, and domestic manufacturers apply Data Matrix codes either directly on the production line or immediately after product release. Major suppliers, such as the official distributor of ZIC oils, report full availability — registration in the system has been completed, identification processes have been debugged, and reporting has been automated.
However, in practice, not everything is so smooth. Many car service stations and small retail outlets that had not previously encountered the labeling system were confused. The owners of their own warehouses are not ready to incur additional costs and organize the process of labeling the leftovers, preferring to wait for the supplier to do this work. This creates temporary logistical difficulties and may lead to a shortage of some retail positions.
The key question for end users is whether the innovation will affect the cost of products. The operator of the Honest Sign system, CRPT, assures that the experience of 31 already labeled product groups shows that there is no significant impact on prices. The cost of one code is 50 kopecks, and the overall impact on the final cost of the product is estimated at less than 1%, which is lower than the current inflation rate.
A positive effect was the removal of some manufacturers from the shadows: previously, 746 companies were officially registered on the market, but after the introduction of labeling, 942 participants were already registered in the system. This allows us to hope for an increase in tax revenues and a more civilized competitive environment.
But the main problem has not yet been solved — experts note the appearance on the market of counterfeit products with imitation labeling codes. So far, the system is operating in a notification mode, and only from April 1, 2026, a direct ban on the turnover of unmarked products with penalties will be introduced. Until then, consumers are advised to remain vigilant and check their purchased liquids through the official Honest Sign app.
Thus, although labeling automotive fluids is a step in the right direction, it will take time and further improvement of the control system to fully clean up the counterfeit market.
