Story perspectives

China's Gray-Market Car Exports to Russia Surge Despite Sanctions

2/17/2026

Summary

Story summary

China exports thousands of cars to Russia via gray-market schemes that bypass sanctions after the 2022 invasion.
Autostat, a Russian automotive data firm, shows many Toyotas and German luxury cars are registered as zero-mileage used vehicles.
Japanese and South Korean governments are cracking down on indirect exports to Russia.
Despite sanctions, imports from China rose, with nearly half of the 130,000 vehicles sold in 2025 coming from sanctioned countries.

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Story summary

China exports thousands of cars to Russia via gray-market schemes that bypass sanctions after the 2022 invasion.
Autostat, a Russian automotive data firm, shows many Toyotas and German luxury cars are registered as zero-mileage used vehicles.
Japanese and South Korean governments are cracking down on indirect exports to Russia.
Despite sanctions, imports from China rose, with nearly half of the 130,000 vehicles sold in 2025 coming from sanctioned countries.