Cars have become deficit (Video)

Since January 4 because of duties increase large auto dealers in fact stopped selling new cars.

The unpopular move is explained by dealers by absence of stock reserve and vague scheme of import of new consignments of goods into the country.

As TUT.by portal was explained by the chairman of the board of the Belarusian Automobile Association (BAA) Syarhei Mikhnevich, the boom provoked by reports about increase of import duties emptied warehouses even of the largest auto centres. According to preliminary estimations, just in December 2009 dealers sold several thousands cars to Belarusians.

Companies that refused to put on sale right after the New Year goods left in warehouses. As said by car dealers, there is no point in selling cars at the prices of 2009. At the same time, it is not clear how prices will be formed this year: according to requirements of the Customs Union and the new VAT rate.

According to experts, the crisis in the car industry can last for a few months. All this time the new car would be considered one of the most deficit good in Belarus.

As said by Mikhnevich, it is next to impossible to buy a new car in Minsk today. Just a few dealers have maintained dynamics of sales, including Atlant M Borovaya Ford, which finishes selling warehouse stock at the price of 2009. With peak sales of 10-12 cars a day, the entire Ford consignment received before the New Year can melt away in 10 days.

We remind that since January 1, 2010 increased customs dues rates for exported cars by legal entities have come into force.

In is made under the Single Customs tariff singed in Minsk on November 27, 2009 in the framework of the Customs union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. New rules of goods import for individual persons in the Customs union haven’t been defined yet. They are to be specified until July 1, 2010.

Rates of import customs duties for cars in Belarus are to be increased up to the Russian level. However, since January 1, 2010 cars assembled in Russia would be imported to Belarus free of duty, if the level of their manufacturing localization reached 30%.

At the same time, Russia accepted the offer of Belarus to increase duties rates for trucks, truck tractors and combines, tools and electric engines.

Passenger cars are the only group of goods in Belarus for which changing customs dues considerably influence interests of citizens.