The Union of Car Services of Russia, a coalition comprising more than thirty maintenance companies from across the country, has prepared a formal appeal to the Economic Commission of the EAEU and to Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade. The aim of this initiative is to press for negotiations with government authorities on the continued production of spare parts for foreign passenger vehicles without reliance on foreign manufacturers. The union urges Russian factories that manufacture automobile components to secure access to technical information about cars sold within Russia, enabling domestic production and repair capabilities to meet market demand.
The authors contend that the current climate presents serious challenges to maintaining the country’s vehicle fleet in a safe and reliable condition. They emphasize the urgent need for rapid, practical measures that document the capacity of existing repair and restoration facilities capable of supplying both newly manufactured and refurbished vehicle parts to the spare parts market. In their view, it is feasible to assemble a unified program that quickly harnesses these enterprises and their competencies to stabilize the supply chain and consumer options.
According to the authors, the emphasis would be on leveraging domestic factories to establish production of non-original spare parts as well as to cultivate a robust market for reconstructed, heavily refurbished components recovered from decommissioned vehicles. The idea is to expand the domestic ecosystem so that a broader range of components can be produced locally, reducing dependence on foreign suppliers and supporting the national automotive service market.
Historically, foreign companies have positioned Russia as a favorable setting for assembly or full manufacturing operations, a stance that the union members say has prioritized foreign interests over national resilience. The current proposition shifts the balance by calling for access to official manufacturer documentation and technical specifications—an element the authors argue would enable a more self-sufficient, diverse production landscape, akin to models seen in several other developed economies that have well-established components markets. The Union of Car Services believes this shift could unlock a broader spectrum of production opportunities and raise the level of domestic automotive component manufacturing.
The Union lists several categories of components for foreign cars that could see local production within Russia. These include parts for springs and suspension systems, engine and transmission components, braking and cooling system elements, and a range of filters. Expanding production in these areas could help stabilize prices and improve availability for vehicles on the road, with potential downstream effects on maintenance costs and service options for consumers in the region.
- Analysts in the automobile market foresee the possibility of a rapid decline in prices for new cars as the domestic production of spare parts strengthens and competition intensifies.
- The automotive press and industry observers note that information channels in messaging platforms could become important conduits for market updates and consumer guidance as the transition unfolds.