Statistics Committee reports data on automobile production

A total of 602,000 cars were produced in Russia in January-July 2002, anincrease of 3.3 percent as compared to the figure posted in January-July2001, the Russian State Statistics Committee reported. The volume of carproduction grew 5.5 percent in July 2002 as compared to July of last yearand 4 percent from the figure reported in June 2002. The volume of busproduction rose 29.3 percent in January-July 2002 to 36,700 units, thevolume of tractor production dropped 29.9 percent to 6,200 units. InJanuary-July 2002 a total of 19.7m tires were produced in Russia, while thenumber of agricultural vehicles and motorcycles produced within the firstseven months of 2002 increased 3.2 percent from the figure posted in thesimilar period of last year. The number of cargo vans produced inJanuary-July 2002 rose 76 percent from the number of units produced in thesimilar period of last year to 5,000. .