New tariffs may be imposed on passenger car tires

Tire manufacturers from Russia and Belarus have initiated a special protective investigation in the EEC regarding the import of passenger and light truck tires into the EAEU, according to Kommersant, citing its sources.

According to the publication, the applicants included Cordiant, Kama Tyres, Ikon Tyres, and Belshina, and the reason was the sharp increase in supplies. Such statements are usually considered for 30 days, but this period can be extended, and as a result of the investigation, quotas or duties of up to 30% may be introduced.

As stated by the General Director of Cordiant, Dmitry Gorbachev, the growth of imports "causes significant damage to the tire industry in Russia and the EAEU", which means that there may be a need to take protective measures. He also added that "the holding is in favor of healthy competition and considers it necessary to level it in case of violation of existing norms".

According to the data of the CRPT (operator of the "Honest Sign" marking), in 2024, a record was set for the import of passenger tires in the Russian market - 25.8 million units, and last year supplies decreased to 25.4 million units. China accounts for about 75% of imports, and mainly budget-class tires are supplied to the country. According to the Main Customs Administration of China, in 2025, China supplied passenger tires worth $510.15 million to Russia, which is 3.3 times more than in 2021, when a number of foreign brands had not yet left the domestic market. In January-February of this year, imports of Chinese passenger tires to Russia increased by 31% compared to the same period in 2025 and amounted to $112 million.

According to expert estimates, in 2025, the capacity utilization of Russian tire plants was 51%, and the CRPT reported that last year the production of passenger tires in the Russian Federation decreased by 20% to 28.1 million units.

Regarding the expectations of a price increase in the event of the introduction of new tariffs, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Behind the Wheel" Maxim Kadakov noted that duties can lead to negative consequences for those who "can only afford the cheapest - in fact, Chinese - tires".

"From experience, the price increase for a number of products can exceed the duty rate," he said, adding that while support for Russian industry is necessary, the question is how to make changes that "do not affect consumers in a negative way".

According to the head of Cordiant, there will be no price increase. "The introduction of a measure that contributes to the creation of conditions for fair competition and leveling market conditions will, in the long run, stabilize the market and will not lead to an increase in product prices: when choosing a measure, the economic situation of consumers is necessarily assessed so that it does not exert price pressure on them," he emphasized.

Not so long ago, the Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed banning the import of tires with a high content of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which many experts also consider a protective measure against imports, primarily Chinese.