On December 21 a nationwide rally against new rules for importing foreign cars will be held across Russia, set to take effect on January 11, 2009. Higher customs duties will hit cheap used cars hardest and, protesters say, may leave thousands in the auto business jobless. Protests have already been held in Vladivostok, Kaliningrad, Novosibirsk and Irkutsk, and Moscow motorists are now preparing to join them.

On December 21, a nationwide protest rally against the new rules for importing foreign cars, which the country’s leadership plans to introduce on January 11, 2009, will take place.
This is not the first such action. Another one took place on December 14. Then, in many major cities of Russia, people expressed their dissatisfaction with the innovation.
Let us recall that last week the government signed a decree on raising customs duties, which takes effect on January 11 of next year. This decision was supposedly driven by concern for the struggling domestic auto industry.
The cheapest foreign cars older than five years were hit hardest. For example, for a six-year-old Mazda Demio 1.5 worth $5,000 in Japan, a private individual previously had to pay $1,191 at customs; now it is $6,370. In other words, the customs payment exceeds the cost of the car itself!
The duty has also increased for cars aged 3–5 years: if for small cars the difference is almost imperceptible, then for 1.5-liter engines the customs payment has already increased by 70% (for individuals) and amounted to about 30–40% of the car’s price abroad! Importing almost new cars for private individuals is still unprofitable: the customs payment will amount to more than half the cost.
All this will deal a serious blow to the auto business in many regions of Russia. Thousands of people employed in it may lose their jobs.
This government decision has stirred up a wave of protest across the country.
Thus in Vladivostok, where business in used foreign cars is the main source of income for half the population, a car enthusiasts’ picket turned into a large-scale protest action. About three thousand people gathered on Ship Embankment. People held placards reading: "Against duties", "In defense of the right-hand drive", "Looking for a job!", "Down with the government!". There were also extremely radical slogans calling for the separation of the Kuril Islands and Primorye from Moscow.
A large rally also took place in Kaliningrad. Many motorists tied orange ribbons to their car antennas. Dissatisfied car owners blocked two of the three lanes of the central Moscow Avenue. In Novosibirsk, several hundred people gathered for the action. They briefly blocked the city’s main street — Red Avenue. In addition, several hundred cars drove around the city and honked continuously in protest. In Irkutsk, about 50 motorists gathered for the rally. But Sunday’s action promises to be much larger. Among others, motorists from Moscow will support it.
The government is concerned about the developing situation; the decision may possibly be reconsidered.