Russia Holds Large Winter Tire Stock Despite Market Shikes
Russian warehouses hold a sizable surplus of winter tires that spans multiple seasons. The total number tops 33 million units, which translates to more than 8.25 million complete tire sets. This inventory level points to a robust storage capacity built up over recent periods and suggests a market with ample supply for the colder months ahead.
Even with such inventories, winter tire prices have risen by about 50 percent compared with the previous year. The increase mirrors the surge in costs for raw materials used in tire manufacturing, which has pushed production expenses higher for many manufacturers and distributors in Russia. In practical terms, buyers may see fewer promotions and tighter pricing for certain popular models, though the broader market appears to maintain steady availability overall.
Russia continues to replenish its tire stock through a mix of domestic production and imports. Tires are manufactured within Russian plants and imported from several international sources, including South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. This diverse supply chain helps sustain a broad range of options for consumers and fleet operators alike, while also buffering the market against regional disruptions.
Overall, more than 80 million tires suited to a wide range of vehicles are stored in Russian warehouses. This figure marks about a 30 percent increase from the previous autumn, according to a Chestny Znak study reported by Kommersant. Notably, winter tires show an even larger rise, standing about 43 percent higher than the same period last year. The expansion reflects strategic stockpiling and market expectations for continued demand when temperatures fall.
Foreign-made tires account for just over a third of the market, roughly 35 percent, with the remaining 65 percent produced domestically. This distribution indicates a strong domestic manufacturing base along with a meaningful share of imports that help diversify the lineup and price points available to buyers, fleets, and service providers in the region.
Industry observers, including Kirill Volkov, who heads a division focused on duty-free product groups within the CRPT, note that shoppers should expect some high-profile brands to be temporarily unavailable at certain points. However, he emphasizes that customers can still locate solid alternatives, including tires in rare sizes used by high-performance and tuned vehicles. This perspective underscores flexibility in the market and the value of exploring a broad catalog beyond popular, mass-market options. [Attribution: CRPT, industry commentary; market analysis sources cited by Kommersant and Chestny Znak]
So, where did all these extra tires come from? Avtostat analyst Sergey Udalov explains that the stock levels were shaped by optimistic projections from 2022, when inventory assumed that roughly 1.6 million new cars would be sold in Russia during the autumn period, thereby creating expectations for winter-tire demand. In reality, sales fell short, with a much smaller number of units expected to be sold by year’s end. This misalignment between predicted demand and actual sales contributed to a buildup of winter-tire inventory in warehouses. [Cited analysis: Avtostat; market forecasts reported by industry outlets]
Looking ahead, a tire shortage is not anticipated in the near term. Still, seasonal price movements are likely to persist, reflecting traditional fluctuations tied to weather, production cycles, and stock levels. In other words, the market should see continued availability, even as prices adjust in response to seasonal demand and input costs. This dynamic is expected to influence both consumer purchasing decisions and fleet procurement strategies as winter approaches across Russia and neighboring markets with similar supply chains.
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