Russian sales officially “worrisome”, government relief awaited

Industry players have been concerned about the impact of Russia's political turbulence on the local car market, but now even the country's vehicle manufacturers association has admitted that developments are troubling. Following a 22.9% year-on-year drop in new car sales in July, Joerg Schreiber, Chairman of the Association of European Businesses Automobile Manufacturers Committee (AEB AMC), stated: “Unfortunately, the contraction of the automotive market continues, picking up speed in July. The overall trend is worrisome, and unlikely to improve fundamentally any time soon."