Details added (first version posted on 11:15)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 11
By Anvar Mammadov – Trend:
Azerbaijan’s State Customs Committee may consider increasing duties on car imports, said Aydin Aliyev, the chairman of the committee.
He told reporters in Baku that this will be possible after commissioning of a joint Azerbaijani-Iranian car plant.
“It’s too early to think about raising import duties on cars,” Aliyev said on Oct. 11. “In recent years, import of cars to Azerbaijan has significantly decreased. In order to think about increasing import duties, it is necessary that the car plant in Azerbaijan’s Neftchala district becomes fully operational. Only after that we will analyze whether import of cars hinders the domestic production.”
It is planned to commission Azermash OJSC, the Azerbaijani-Iranian car plant, which is under construction in Azerbaijan’s Neftchala district, in December 2017. The annual production capacity of the plant is 10,000 cars, 2,000 of which are planned to be exported.
Iran Khodro (IKCO) Runna, IKCO Samand, IKCO Soren, IKCO Dena, Peugeot 206, Peugeot 207, Renault Tondar cars will be produced at the plant.
Azerbaijan imported 5,662 vehicles in January-August 2017 as compared to 3,454 vehicles in the same period of 2016, according to a report issued by the State Customs Committee.
Cars and motor vehicles accounted for 4,874 of the total number of the vehicles imported by the country, said the report.
Azerbaijan imported 2,981 cars and motor vehicles in January-August 2016.
Moreover, the country imported 603 trucks in January-August 2017 as compared to 342 trucks imported in January-August 2016.
The remaining part of the imports accounted for other types of vehicles.
Azerbaijan imported 5,746 vehicles in 2016 as compared to 26,785 vehicles in 2015.