A newly iimposed duty on imported cars has sparked protests from Russian motorists and attracted criticism from the EU.
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Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed a decree last month that has increased tariffs on imported foreign cars by between 10 and 20%, a move the government has sought to portray as aid for domestic automakers.
But the Moscow Times reports that the decision created a wave of unrest, most notably in the far eastern Primorye region where many make a living importing used cars from Japan.
Vyacheslav Lysakov, head of the Free Choice Motorists’ Movement, estimated that as many as 200,000 people in the Primorye region would lose their jobs as a direct result of the increase.
“For small Primorye cities, the foreign-car import market is the only industry — there aren’t any other jobs,” he told the newspaper.
The newspaper also said that a spokesman for the European Commission has said the duties ran counter to Russia’s 13-year bid to join the World Trade Organization.
Protests were held in Vladivostok, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk and Chita as recently as last week, Ekho Moskvy radio reported.
