The Spetsavtoprom Association has urged the Russian government to raise recovery rates for dump trucks to help domestic automakers compete with Chinese producers. A report from Vedomosti references a letter addressed to Denis Manturov, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade.
The core idea behind the proposal is to level the scrap rates for finished dump trucks and for their chassis. A chassis is the basic frame on which different bodies are later mounted. It is cheaper to produce than the full vehicle, yet its scrap rate is higher. This makes it more economical for Chinese manufacturers to import ready-made dump trucks, keeping production costs lower in comparison to assembling complete trucks locally.
Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has said it is prepared to assess the union’s idea and to decide on a course of action that would defend the interests of domestic producers.
Nevertheless, the Russian truck market is in a phase of recovery, with a large portion of demand still dominated by Chinese brands that command more than half of the market share. Kommersant reports that among the popular models, the Sitrak C7H tractor leads with a circulation of 372 units, surpassing KamAZ-43118 by a twofold margin (168 units sold). The Shaanxi-based Shacman SX3258 sits in third place with 151 units sold.
KamAZ’s market share declined from 37% to 26% in January 2023, and overall sales fell by about 24.2%, reaching roughly 1,800 trucks. This trend underscores a shift in the Russian heavy-vehicle landscape, where foreign brands have gained ground and domestic producers face intensified competition.
Earlier reports noted that flagship Russian automakers AvtoVAZ and UAZ have begun equipping certain models with anti-lock braking systems (ABS), signaling a broader push toward modern safety and technology integration across the domestic auto sector.
Industry observers note that increasing domestic content and adjusting tax or recovery structures could influence the pricing and availability of trucks built in Russia. If policy moves tilt toward higher recovery rates for finished vehicles relative to chassis, it could alter the economics of assembly in Russia and potentially dampen the incentive to import entirely finished units. The conversation also points to the need for parallel moves in supplier networks, training, and local component production to ensure a full domestic supply chain can sustain any regulatory changes over time.
As the market adapts, stakeholders in the Russian automotive ecosystem—manufacturers, suppliers, and policy makers—will be watching closely how these potential reforms could shift the competitive balance, influence pricing for fleet operators, and affect the pace of localization efforts in the truck segment. Market watchers also consider how similar strategies have played out in other sectors in Russia and neighboring markets, where policy instruments have sometimes aligned with broader industrial modernization goals.
Analysts emphasize that the outcome will hinge on how quickly the domestic industry can scale up manufacturing capacity, upgrade technology, and secure skilled labor to meet rising demand while maintaining profitability. The ABS adoption by major Russian automakers points to a broader trend toward improving safety and compliance in a market facing growing competition from imports, which may, in turn, prompt further investments in local productivity and product quality across the industry (sources: industry briefings, market reports, and company disclosures referenced in industry press).