AvtoVAZ has put forward an initiative to unify the recognition of automotive component localization between Russia and Belarus. The proposal was presented by the company’s Vice President for External Relations, Sergey Gromak, at the "Russian Business Week — 2026" event.
The essence of the initiative is to introduce a system of mutual points: if a Russian manufacturer uses Belarusian components, it receives additional localization points, and vice versa. At present, localization confirmation goes through two stages — via the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Industry and Trade — and is valid only within a single jurisdiction. The next step, according to Gromak, could be mutual access to benefits and preferences in both countries, while maintaining balance and protecting the domestic market.
Work in this direction is already underway: the Ministry of Industry and Trade has begun negotiations with the Belarusian side. AvtoVAZ has agreed with the RSPP Committee on International Cooperation to create a joint working group to develop the mechanism together with the relevant ministries and agencies.
For AvtoVAZ and Russian automakers in general, this opens access to the Belarusian component base — primarily products from MAZ, MTZ, and other enterprises — without losing localization points, which directly affect access to government procurement and subsidies.