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Tens of thousands of vehicles are being exported from China to Russia, bypassing sanctions imposed by Western and Asian governments, as well as manufacturers' pledges to withdraw from the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to registration data analyzed by Reuters and interviews with people involved in the trade.
According to the report, the trade includes well-known brands such as Toyota, Mazda, Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen. Some of the vehicles are manufactured in China through partnerships between international brands and local companies, while others pass through Chinese territory after being manufactured in other countries.
Scheme of "used" cars with zero kilometers
A growing phenomenon is new vehicles being registered as sold in China and then re-classified as “used” for export. This practice, previously documented by Reuters, is linked to China’s subsidized and highly competitive car market, where manufacturers benefit from subsidies and export surpluses.
In Russia, these vehicles are sold at prices similar to new cars, although in China they are sold at significant discounts.
Increase in imports from China
Autostat data shows that Chinese-made cars make up a growing share of Western and Japanese vehicles registered in Russia. Since 2023, the number of such vehicles has more than doubled. They account for about half of the 130,000 cars sold in Russia in 2025 by manufacturers from countries that have imposed sanctions.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, over 700,000 foreign-brand vehicles have been sold in Russia.
The attitude of manufacturers and governments
Manufacturers such as Mercedes, BMW and Volkswagen have said they have stopped direct sales to Russia and are trying to prevent unauthorized exports, but stress that investigating violations is complicated and time-consuming.
German, Japanese and South Korean authorities have confirmed that the implementation of the sanctions is being monitored by customs and relevant institutions, while they have stressed that measures are being taken to prevent the circumvention of export controls. On the other hand, the Ministry of Commerce of China and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia have not commented on the reports, but both countries have previously stated that they oppose unilateral sanctions.
Luxury models in focus
Among the most popular models on the Russian market is the Mercedes G-Class, made in Austria and priced at around 120,000 euros. Shipping documents reviewed by Reuters also show imports of luxury SUVs such as the Mercedes GLC 300 and BMW X1 xDrive25i via China.
According to analysts, the growth of trade between Russia and China in the car sector shows that many vehicles initially imported to China from Europe later end up on the Russian market, through indirect channels.
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