Resin producers are proposing to increase points for automakers’ use of localized plastics. According to their estimates, the share of Russian polymers in the production of passenger cars has fallen by half since 2022, to 35%. Automakers are wary of rising costs and point to challenging market conditions for new investments.
Manufacturers of plastics and raw materials for their production propose to increase the number of points for localization of polymer parts for cars. On June 17, SIBUR, Poliplastik, Plastimat, Moskvich, Haval and other industry participants agreed to create a working group on this issue. Following the discussions, the business intends to send a letter to the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
We are talking about an adjustment to Resolution 719: now the maximum number of points that can be scored for the use of polymer components from Russian raw materials in auto production, as follows from the presentation of SIBUR (available to Kommersant), is 255–280 out of 7000. De facto, the amount of compensation for recycling collection depends on the number of these points.
Until 2022, according to Polyplastic, about 70% of polymer auto components for passenger cars were produced in Russia, and by the end of 2025, the share of Russian plastics in the segment decreased to 35%.
Processing fell 2.5 times, to 23 thousand tons. The main reasons are a decline in auto production and a lack of interest among “restarted” factories (where de facto Chinese cars are assembled) in investing in the localization of polymer auto components, according to one of Kommersant’s interlocutors.
First of all, explains Daniil Polevoy, SIBUR representative for industry solutions in the Transport division, automakers are localizing “bulk-intensive” processes: welding – 400 points, painting – 500 points, stamping – 500 points. “Weld a body – 500 points immediately. And in order to make an instrument panel, to make a mold, it costs several million dollars. And, in fact, this does not provide any points. Therefore, the process begins to slow down,” adds Ekaterina Smirnova, Deputy Director for Sales, Head of the Automotive Department at NPP Poliplastik.
According to Kommersant’s information, in 2026, “relaunched” production facilities can receive full compensation for recycling fees if they gain 2,000 localization points, while other factories can receive about 3,700 points. It is expected that the threshold will increase every year.
According to Ms. Smirnova, in order to stimulate the process of localization of polymer parts from Russian raw materials, it is necessary to increase the points to 500–600.
“In terms of plastic parts – ordering molds, ordering tooling, possibly developing the material – the process takes more than a year. If you don’t start doing this now, then in two years it won’t happen,” she clarifies.
Among the initiatives of plastics manufacturers is to detail the nomenclature for interior and exterior: according to Mr. Polevoy, not all components are currently included in Resolution 719. In particular, the document still does not reflect the center console, fender liners and belts. SIBUR also proposed to “temporarily transfer” points for the localization of complex components, which, due to the long lead times for their development, will appear only on the horizon of 2030–2035, to polymer components. “For example, ADAS systems (advanced driver assistance systems.— “Kommersant”) are necessary and important, but the points for them are in fact now frozen,” clarifies Daniil Polevoy.
In addition, it is proposed to introduce a criterion for the mandatory use of local raw materials in the production of polymer components. According to Mr. Polevoy, this will help transfer part of the production processes to Russia: “perhaps it will become more interesting for someone not to transport from Asian countries.” Now this criterion is not indicated for all components (for some it is indicated at the level of at least 40–50% of Russian raw materials).
Automakers are reacting to initiatives with caution. Director of Purchasing, Supply Chain Management and Customs at Moskvich Pavel Golubev believes that for the development of the industry it is necessary to move from the concept of “force” (to use components from Russian raw materials) to support measures for such a transition. “The price of local material is higher. We already had cases when we carried out complete localization of the material – everything was fine, but the price was so high that we refused: we made do with Chinese polymer,” adds Ivan Panteleev, director of the department of research and development of vehicle systems at RDNMotion (a structure of the automaker Haval).
A Kommersant source in the automotive industry explains that the Ministry of Industry and Trade links any increase in points for localization with a decrease in other points in order to maintain balance in the system of Resolution 719. “This results in potential points being added to the system for operations or components that are yet to be mastered or that are not used on every vehicle, and is offset by a reduction in points for operations that are mastered on each vehicle,” he says. Such a mechanism ceases to be stimulating and becomes an increased burden for automakers in conditions of market stagnation and the Central Bank rate prohibitive for investment, he believes.
