Russian importers have stopped orders for cars over 160 hp due to upcoming changes in scrappage duty

A number of Russian companies engaged in supplying cars from abroad have temporarily stopped accepting orders for cars with engines more powerful than 160 hp. The reason — possible changes in the mechanism for calculating the recycling fee, which may come into force as early as November 1, 2025.

Importers reinsure themselves ahead of new regulation

According to «Avto.ru Magazine», suppliers are afraid of overpayments if the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s decree to revise the scrappage fee comes into force while the car is still on the road. In this case, the final cost of the model may turn out to be significantly higher than expected at the time of ordering.

According to market expert Pavel Karin, his company has completely stopped accepting applications for cars from China, and the decision on cars from South Korea will be made only until October 1. He emphasized that otherwise there is a risk of ending up in a situation where the scrappage fee will have to be paid at the new rates, and the final payment will be much higher than the initial one.

At the end of the year, the company will have to pay the scrappage fee at the new rates.

The suspension of orders was also announced by Kirill Chernov, representing «Avtorevizorro». He estimated that if the new rules are approved, importing a number of used cars may lose economic sense, as the additional costs will range from 1.5 to 3.5 million rubles. At the same time, the dealership network «Avilon» is still accepting orders, despite the uncertainty about future tariffs.

New scrappage criteria —engine power

A draft decree developed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade stipulates that from November 1, engine power will be taken into account when calculating scrappage duty. At the same time, preferential rates for individuals will be maintained:

• 3,4 thousand rubles — for new cars,
• 5,2 thousand rubles — for cars older than three years.

Most of the imported cars will be affected

According to «Izvestia», the changes may affect about 68% of cars that are imported into Russia today. The maximum rates of scrappage duty for cars older than three years with an engine displacement of more than 3.5 liters and a power of more than 500 hp may exceed 10 million rubles.

So the new rules risk seriously changing the market: the supply of powerful cars will become uneconomical, and the priority will be given to medium-power models subject to preferential terms.