China sharply increased passenger car tire supplies to Russia

In June 2026, imports of Chinese passenger car tires to the Russian market reached a record high since at least 2015, amounting to $85 million—double the figure from the previous year. In physical terms, supplies also doubled to 2.99 million units. Compared to May 2026, imports increased 1.9-fold in value and 1.8-fold in volume. Over the first six months, a total of 12.7 million tires worth $322 million were delivered, representing growth of 60% and 40% respectively.reports"Kommersant" citing data from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China.

According to industry participants, the sharp import spike is related to the fact that on April 29starteda special safeguard investigation regarding passenger and light commercial vehicle tyres imported into the EAEU, which could result in a new 30% duty.

In«Cordiant»note that the main reason for the import growth was the favorable exchange rate, which increases importers' revenues, while Russian tire companies are suffering losses due to "significant price pressure" from China, affecting both sales and production volumes.

"Domestic manufacturers are in a very difficult situation. At the same time, the competitive measures taken by Chinese manufacturers raise questions regarding their fairness," said Dmitry Gorbachev, CEO of Cordiant.

In Ikon Tyres agrees that the industry "continues to face high pressure from importers." According to Ikon, at the beginning of the year, more than 250 Chinese brands were present in the market, and "the most challenging situation for domestic manufacturers is observed in the budget segment," in which the company is launching a new brand, Credo, this year.

According to Gorbachev, the import surge could lead to excess inventory. Distributors always stock up their warehouses in summer, preparing for the winter season, "but such import growth raises concerns that more stock will accumulate than the market actually needs by the time the season starts."

The editor-in-chief of "Za Rulem," Maxim Kadakov, also believes that such supply volumes are too high for the domestic market, but this will benefit consumers since tyre prices at least won't rise.

In the future, industry representatives note, there is a possibility that China will continue increasing its shipments. "As long as protective measures (duties, quotas) have not been introduced, Chinese suppliers have room to maneuver," said Dmitry Babansky, partner at SBS. "However, further dynamics will depend on the outcome of the EEC investigation: if protective measures are introduced, growth will slow or turn into a decline."

Photo: sina.com.cn