Which car brands are most at risk of price increases due to the increased recycling fee?

Based on the results of the first eight months of 2025, the largest share of cars with a power output above 160 hp was recorded by BMW – 89.7%, Geely – 89.3%, Mercedes-Benz – 84.3%, Hyundai – 79.5%, Kia – 69.6%.

For Volkswagen this figure is 39.7%, for Toyota – 32.3%. The lowest figures are for Honda (14.3%), Mazda (12.5%) and Nissan (8.3%).

Thus, the most significant increase in costs will be experienced by premium brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi, as well as mass-market crossovers Geely and Hyundai, the auto expert concludes.

In particular, one of the most popular parallel import models, the Geely Monjaro, risks losing its price advantage over official deliveries.

By import country, the largest share of vehicles over 160 hp was recorded in deliveries from Belarus (85.8%), South Korea (84.5%) and Georgia (83.9%).

In comparison, the figure for imports from Japan is only 10.6%, meaning it has a minimal impact on the used right-hand drive car market.

The expert notes that the changes could alter the structure of parallel imports: deliveries of high-performance cars from Korea and the EAEU countries will lose economic viability, while the Japanese car segment will remain stable.

As a reminder, the Ministry of Industry and Trade plans to change the recycling fee for vehicles imported by individuals, effective November 1, 2025. The exemption will no longer apply to vehicles with engine power over 160 hp, directly affecting a number of popular brands.