The Russian passenger car tire market barely grew in the first half of the year, industry participants reported. According to Cordiant's estimates, the total sales volume increased by only 1%. At the same time, retail sales rose by 11%, which prevented the market from falling. Pirelli estimates retail growth even higher, at 15%.
Simultaneously, passenger car tire imports grew by 28.1% to 16.4 million units, while production in Russia decreased by 18% to 13.2 million. According to CRPT data, 12.8 million tires were sold in the country during the first half of the year. The average price decreased by 3% to 6,873 rubles. Market participants attribute the increase in imports to the strengthening of the ruble and the growing presence of Chinese manufacturers.
Against the backdrop of the gap between supply and demand, inventories are forming, which could intensify price competition in the second half of the year. For consumers, this means a wider choice and a possible reduction in prices, but for domestic factories, it means pressure from imports and the risk of further production cuts.
Pressure of Chinese imports on the Russian tire market
By the end of 2025, passenger car tire production in Russia decreased by 20%, and the share of Chinese imports in the total volume of imports exceeded 70%. At the same time, experts recorded underutilization of about 45% of domestic production capacities.
In early 2026, the trend intensified: in the first months of the year, tire imports from China increased by another 30%, while the average price of Chinese tires decreased by 11.7%, and Russian tires increased by 13.5%. By that time, China accounted for about 80% of all tire imports into the country.
As early as November 2025, Ikon Tyres head Andrey Pantyukhov urged the government and the EAEU to introduce protective measures against dumping, pointing out that over five years, the share of Chinese brands had grown from 11% to 35%. Data from the first half of 2026 confirm that without regulatory intervention, the gap between imports and domestic production continues to widen.
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