New Delhi, Feb 13 While the sale of cars made in Europe, the US, Japan and South Korea have been banned in the Russian market as part of the sanctions imposed on Moscow after the Ukraine war, these vehicles are entering the Communist country.
New registration data reviewed by Reuters shows that foreign-brand vehicles continue to enter Russia in significant numbers, largely routed through China.
"Many of these cars are manufactured in China through joint ventures with global brands. However, vehicles manufactured in Europe are also being shipped through China to Russian buyers," according to an article in online publication Modern Diplomacy.
A growing gray-market system now enables Russian dealers to obtain Western, Japanese and South Korean vehicles through Chinese intermediaries.
The modus operandi is to categorise these new vehicles as "zero-mileage used" cars.
These new cars are first recorded as sold in the local market and then exported as used vehicles to Russia, the article said.
According to Russia-based Autostat, nearly 130,000 vehicles made by automakers from sanctioning countries were sold in Russia in 2025 alone.
Since early 2022, more than 700,000 such vehicles have been registered in the country.
Almost half of the recent sales involve vehicles manufactured in China.
Toyota remains one of the most purchased foreign brands in Russia, with nearly 30,000 units sold last year, the majority produced in China.
German brands, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group, also maintain a significant presence.
Tens of thousands of these vehicles were registered last year, with many either built in China or routed through it, the article says.
Luxury models, particularly high-end SUVs such as the Mercedes G-Class, continue to find buyers among Russia's affluent consumers.
"Auto manufacturing giants claim that they prohibit direct sales to Russia and have implemented contractual safeguards to prevent unauthorised exports. However, they admit that monitoring indirect trade through third parties is complex and difficult," the article said.
European, Japanese and South Korean authorities say they are investigating potential sanctions violations.
At the same time, experts note that globalised supply chains and intermediary networks make complete enforcement nearly impossible, the article noted.
--IANS
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor