The decision of the EEC Council No. 35 dated February 24, 2026 applies to electric vehicles and sequential hybrids according to the EAEU HS codes 8703 80 000 3 and 8703 80 000 5. The restrictions cover cars imported with exemption from duties between March 28, 2022 and December 31, 2025, as well as legal relations that have arisen since January 22, 2026.
The quota exemption for 2026 was originally intended exclusively for Kyrgyz citizens permanently residing in the country. The transfer of ownership, use, or disposal of a car to citizens and residents of Russia and Kazakhstan is expressly prohibited. The EEC decision also closed the temporary import channel: if an electric car registered in Kyrgyzstan or Armenia enters Russia, a citizen of that country permanently residing there must be driving.
"There was no legal duty-free loophole for Russian buyers. The decision of the Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission No. 35 dated 02/24/2026 (entered into force on 04/18/2026) also closed the loophole on the part of temporary importation," comments Konstantin Kurylev, Director of the CISC.
Before the quota was exhausted, customs clearance in Kyrgyzstan was 15-25% cheaper than direct imports to Russia. Now, when importing an electric vehicle to Kyrgyzstan, a duty of 15% of the customs value is paid — the arbitration margin for subsequent resale to Russia is compressed to zero or goes into negative territory.
Russia, for its part, is also raising barriers. Since December 2025, the preferential recycling fee rate of about 3,400 rubles has been maintained only for electric vehicles with a capacity of up to 80 hp. For more powerful vehicles, recycling rates have increased dramatically. Since 2025, the Russian customs has begun to impose additional increased duties on goods imported through the EAEU countries and originating from countries recognized as unfriendly.
Armenia received a base quota of 15,000 electric vehicles for 2026, which was subsequently increased to 20,000. However, the Armenian quota is subject to the same ban on the transfer of cars to citizens and residents of Russia.
"Armenia is formally becoming a free hub. But the Armenian quota is subject to the same ban on the transfer of cars to citizens and residents of Russia. Therefore, there is no more legal redirection to Russia there than in Kyrgyzstan," Kurylev explains.
Kazakhstan did not receive an extension of the duty-free quota in 2026. The import of electric vehicles there is carried out at a standard rate of 15%, which confirms the general trend of the EAEU to squeeze benefits. It is not yet known where exactly the cargo flows will flow: there is not enough information for an unambiguous forecast.
