If Belarus raises the utilization fee rates to the level of Russia, this may cause an increase in prices for cars imported into the Russian Federation. This was warned by Irina Frank, Managing Director of Frank Auto. In her opinion, such changes should stop the gray import of cars through the neighboring republic.
Previously, the difference in fees allowed importers to save money, offering cars cheaper than on the Russian market. Now this difference will disappear, which may lead to an increase in prices for cars imported through Belarus to the level of official dealers in Russia, as well as a reduction in favorable offers for buyers who previously used the Belarusian channel to save money.
Importers may raise prices for cars due to the increased utilization fee. For premium cars, this will add 5-15% to the cost, and for mass-market cars — 3-8%. As a result, Belarusian imports will become less attractive compared to direct deliveries to Russia. A decrease in the volume of gray imports is also expected. Previously, about 10-15% of new foreign cars were imported through Belarus, but after equalization of rates, this figure may fall to 2-5%.
Earlier, a new service for safe purchase of used cars appeared in Russia. The Russian car dealer Rolf introduced the Autogarant platform, which simplifies the process of concluding a transaction between the seller and the buyer of a used car.
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