OREANDA-NEWS According to the results of February 2024, stocks of Chinese passenger cars decreased in Russia. By March, they had dropped to 100 thousand units, with reference to Gazprombank Leasing, Kommersant reports.

The volume of stocks of passenger cars of the top 16 brands from China in Russia now amounts to two to three months of implementation. These cars were ordered back in the fall, before demand decreased due to the increased key interest rate and the cost of financing. At that time, sellers supported sales through discounts and subsidies for leasing and lending programs. Some distributors stopped shipping cars so as not to load warehouses. Another reason was the Chinese New Year, which temporarily stopped deliveries, added Nikolai Ivanov, director of the Rolf New Car Sales department.

Due to the rise in the cost of parallel imports against the background of stricter import rules from the EAEU and increased scrap collection, sellers will reduce the volume of discounts, so the final prices for cars will rise.

"If all dealers entered this year with a two—month runoff, then in March - with a month and a half. Further, the level of discounts will decrease, since there are simply no prerequisites to keep large discounts for a long time," explained Renat Tyukteev, Avilon's deputy General director for new car sales.

Analysts of the Central Bank have previously stated that the rise in price of cars in Russia is being held back by large stocks at dealers. At the beginning of 2024, about 200 thousand cars accumulated in warehouses in Moscow and the Moscow region, and the same number are on their way to the country. Such a volume of new cars can be realized only within a few months. The supply prevailing over demand limits the price increase for cars, according to the regulator.