Taiwan's Acer ships computer hardware to Russia - Reuters

Taiwan-based computer manufacturer Acer supplied at least $70.4 million worth of computer hardware to Russia between April 8, 2022 and March 31, 2023, after saying it would suspend its business there.

That's according to customs data seen by Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

While not illegal, Acer's actions contrast with those of key Western rivals such as Dell and HP which ceased shipments in February and April 2022, respectively, following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, customs records drawn from a commercial trade data provider show.

The records show equipment produced by Acer was supplied to Russia both through Acer's wholly-owned subsidiary registered in Switzerland and a number of delivery services by order of that subsidiary.

According to Reuters, as the shipments originated outside Taiwan, they did not violate Taipei's sanctions against Russia. Nor did they involve items restricted at the time of export by Switzerland's sanctions regime, which mirrors that of the European Union.

But in a statement on April 8 last year, the company said: "Due to recent developments, Acer has decided to suspend its business in Russia."

Asked about subsequent exports to Russia via Swiss subsidiary Acer Sales International SA, Acer in Taiwan said in a statement that "we strictly adhere to applicable international regulations and trade laws regarding exports to Russia."

It added that the Swiss subsidiary "had not shipped any laptops or desktops to Russia since April 8 last year," but that it had supplied a "limited number of displays and accessories to the Russian market for civilian daily use while ensuring compliance with international sanctions."

A source familiar with details of the shipments, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, said Acer's products, including PC monitors and laptops, continued to be shipped to Russia after April 2022.

At the same time, Reuters was unable to establish where some Acer goods that can still be found on sale in Russia had originated from nor when they had arrived in the country.

Swiss sanctions, in line with the EU's, allowed the export of laptop computers and computing components to Russia until Dec. 16, 2022. There were no deliveries of the newly prohibited items by Acer to Russia from Switzerland after that date.

The company told Reuters it was possible that importers in Russia sourced Acer devices from third countries. Acer's Russian unit, in response to emailed questions, said "nothing has changed" since the April 2022 statement.

Acer accounted for 18.5% of all PCs sold in Russia in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to consulting company IDC Russia, while HP and Dell made up a combined 20.8%.