Russia Mandates All Taxis Be Locally Made by 2026 to Boost Domestic Auto Industry

Report by Safarti Tarjuman International Desk

President Vladimir Putin has signed a new law requiring all taxi fleets across Russia to use domestically manufactured vehicles starting March 1, 2026. The move is part of a broader strategy to strengthen Russia’s automotive industry amid ongoing Western sanctions.

Under the new legislation, all passenger transportation vehicles must either meet a specific localization threshold or have been manufactured between March 1, 2022, and March 1, 2025. Vehicles produced after this three-year window will be evaluated individually until 2033, after which only those meeting the localization criteria will be permitted.

Phased Rollout Across Regions

The law will be implemented gradually, with regional flexibility:

• Kaliningrad and Siberia will receive a two-year extension, allowing compliance until 2028.
• Russia’s Far East will have until 2030 to fully meet the new requirements.

This staggered timeline is designed to give regions with limited local production capacity more time to adjust.

Limited Models Currently Qualify

As of now, only a few vehicle models fulfill the required localization standards. These include:

• Russia’s own Lada
• Chinese-manufactured vehicles such as Kaiyi, BAIC and Haval.

These brands are expected to dominate the Russian taxi market in the coming years as the industry adapts to the new regulations.

Supporting an Industry Under Pressure

The mandate aims to stimulate local manufacturing and reduce reliance on foreign imports, particularly from Western countries that have curtailed exports due to sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict.

The new law expands a policy already applied to vehicles used under state contracts, now extending it to commercial passenger transport, which includes taxis and ride-hailing services.