Abstract. The crisis of 2008 once more highlighted the problems of Russia economic security, of judicious combination of domestic production and imports, of protecting the interests of Russian producers. At this point, import performs quite important functions in the domestic reproduction process. It brings into the local market competition, prevents monopolization, covers the demand for the missing goods, forms a modern model of consumption, etc. However, the import’s excess significantly inhibits the process of import substitution. The lack of consistency in dealing with the import reduces its positive implications.