Import of New Foreign Brand Cars toRussia Keeps On Decreasing For the Second Year On End
According to the Federal Customs Service (FCS) in January-June 2010 import of foreign brand cars decreased by 4,6% to 251 300 pcs. According to the data of agency «Autostat», the decrease is a bit lower – import of foreign brand cars declined by 3,9% and import of new foreign brand cars – by 4,2%. And this is assuming that the first half of last year was disastrous: due to the crisis and increase of duties for foreign brand cars import at that time collapsed by 73,3% to 263 400 pcs, according to the FCS.
Companies have accumulated large stocks of cars at their warehouse even before 2009, which they have been selling out till last summer, consequently both import and production of cars have decreased sharply, reminds General Director of «Autostat» Sergej Tselikov. This summer demand on cars began to grow: according to the Association of European Businesses sales for the first half year have increased by 3% to 790 517 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, and production among all Russian enterprises – by 53,6% to 504 356 pcs. Such a growth of production can be explained, first of all, by effect of low base, as in the first half of last year a lot of factories worked with long interruptions, and secondly, by dramatic growth of production at «AvtoVaz», which cars became very popular after the start of cash-for-clunker program in March, explains Mr. Tselikov.
But a lot of foreign car manufacturers began to increase sales not so much owing to import, as owing to local production. «We produce in Russia the most popular models of Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi, therefore growth in demand brings about increase of local production, and not import», – admits representative of «Volkswagen Group Rus» Julia Karulina. Initially, the lion's share of Renault sales in Russia fell to budgetary Logan, which is assembled at Moscow «Avtoframos», therefore demand growth, including that, caused by cash-for-clunker program, led to growth of Russian production first, agrees with her the representative of Russian Renault Oksana Nazanova. And growth of Renault import by 351% to 4331 cars she accounts for revival of interest to more expensive models of the company, which did not receive attention at the crisis height.
There is no serious question of substitution of import by local production, on which officilas counted, when they increased import duties at the beginning of 2010, as in Russia mainly the most affordable models are assembled, for which demand is growing now, states Director of Russian Representative Office of A. T. Kearney Evgenij Bogdanov. But results of III quarter shall show significant growth of import: in June-July volume of orders for cars began to grow stably, they will be imported in reality in August-September, admits Head of Russian Representative Office of JATO Dynamics Vladimir Vidulov.
