In January-November 2022, 221,300 used passenger cars were imported into Russia, follows from the data of Passport Industrial Consulting (a joint venture between Avtostat and the operator of electronic TCP) based on statistics from the Federal Customs Service. This is an 82% increase compared to the same period last year, when 121,300 used cars were imported into the country.
In customs statistics, a used car is a vehicle (V) older than three years. Over 90% of such cars were imported from Japan last year and this year, says Sergey Udalov, executive director of Avtostat. 216,000 cars out of 221,300 vehicles imported this year were cleared for individuals.
The import of cars to Russia through Vladivostok in January-July 2022 increased by a third compared to the same period last year, the Prime agency wrote with reference to the Vladivostok customs in August. A total of 78,460 cars were imported, mostly from Japan. The peak period in 2022, according to customs, was July, when 15,000 cars were brought into Russia. On average, customs in Vladivostok clear about 600 vehicles daily.
In addition, from October 31, order No. 121n of the Ministry of Finance came into force, which simplified the procedure for registering cars at customs for individuals. In particular, now residents of the Far Eastern Federal District, regardless of the region of residence, are not required to confirm their stay in the Primorsky Territory when registering an imported car at the Vladivostok customs. Previously, this option was available exclusively for residents of Primorye.
The share of ads for the sale of right-hand drive cars (left-hand traffic in Japan) in 2022 increased by 2% compared to the previous year, says a Droma representative. According to him, right-hand drive cars now occupy about 30% of the total number of ads.
Of the brands among right-hand drive cars, Toyota is most often sold, but the Honda Fit compact hatchback became the most popular model in 2022, the source notes. On average, it costs 576,000 rubles. Toyota Corolla is also in demand among buyers at a price of 262,000 rubles. and Toyota Corolla Fielder (742,000), says a Droma spokesperson. The average price of used cars with right-hand drive is much lower than left-hand drive – 500,000 rubles, against 750,000 rubles, he adds.
“We see an increase in interest in “Japanese women” in the central regions of the country, where right-hand drive cars were not particularly popular before. The import of right-hand drive cars may well compete with automakers who have left the market, provided that the exchange rate remains at the current level, ”says Alexei Grishin, an analyst at Droma.
There are several reasons for the rise in popularity of right-hand drive vehicles, Udalov says. Among them are increased prices for new cars, a shortage in the market and a favorable exchange rate. “This growth will continue if duties and excises are not changed or any other restrictions are not introduced and the exchange rate does not change,” he said. According to the analyst, imports of used cars from Japan have been declining in recent months. In the future, the limiting factor may be demand, the availability of cars in other markets and logistics, he believes.
The weighted average price of a new passenger car in Russia by the end of 2022 will reach 2.23 million rubles, Udalov said earlier. For comparison: in 2021, cars have already set a record for price growth, having risen in price by 18% to 1.99 million rubles.
The cost of cars began to grow noticeably at the end of February – March, after the start of the SVO in Ukraine, the cessation of supplies from foreign concerns and the suspension of local production. As supply declined and prices rose, so did demand. As a result, according to the Association of European Businesses, sales of new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in Russia in January-November 2022 decreased by 61% year-on-year to 548,877 units.