Russia closes the loophole: importing through Kyrgyzstan will become unprofitable from 2027

Russia's Ministry of Industry and Trade has put forward for public consultation a draft regulation on the recycling fee that will, from 2027, close the profitable scheme for importing foreign cars into Russia through Kyrgyzstan.

The document establishes that customs authorities will refuse to apply the preferential recycling fee rate if the imported car was previously cleared through customs in an EAEU country at rates differing from the union's unified customs tariff. The preferential rate is 3,400 rubles for new cars up to three years old and 5,200 rubles for used vehicles.

The key change is a new surcharge formula. Instead of coefficients that accounted for the actual difference in tariffs, VAT, and excise between Kyrgyzstan and Russia, a single coefficient is being introduced, tied to prices from the list of average car costs compiled by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The list will be updated quarterly and take effect one week after publication.

Dmitry Rogov, founder of RogovMobil, explained that the new formula will completely eliminate the price advantage of Kyrgyz customs clearance. According to him, a Geely Monjaro imported from China through Kyrgyzstan currently costs 4–4.1 million rubles compared to 4.8 million rubles for an equivalent from Volga. "It was necessary to make them cost the same — and they will cost the same," he said. Premium cars up to three years old with two-liter engines will increase in price by approximately 500,000 rubles, and those with three-liter engines by approximately 1 million rubles.

An additional requirement: buyers will need to register imported cars within one month. For preferential import of a rare car older than 30 years, confirmation of its status as a cultural artifact will be required.

Meanwhile, alternative imports of new passenger cars into Russia have already declined: in October 2026, they totaled fewer than 20,000 units — 12% less than in September and 18% less than in October of the previous year.