June 26, 2022

Automotive Industry Out of Gear


Automotive Industry Out of Gear
Are there red and blue lights behind me?  Pexels, Pixabay. 

The Russian automotive industry is experiencing a major decrease in demand amid the invasion of Ukraine, prompting China to slow its car exports to Russia.

Russia was sanctioned by Western car and part manufacturers when the invasion began and has since been purchasing cars from China. Russia imported R10.3 billion ($190.7 million) worth of Chinese cars in March, R4.6 billion ($84.6 million) in April, and just R1.7 billion ($32 million) in May.  

The value of car parts imported from China has seen a similar downward slope.  In May, Russian companies purchased only R4.4 billion ($81.3 million) in automotive parts, a big drop from the R6.3 billion ($117.1 million) spent in February.

It is likely that the automotive slowdown is a result of economic shocks from the sanctions.

President Vladimir Putin has ordered that a plan of action for the flagging Russian auto industry be drafted by September 1, 2022.

You Might Also Like

Forbidden Fruit
  • June 27, 2022

Forbidden Fruit

Russian combatants occupying Melitopol, Ukraine, have fallen ill after eating poisoned cherries.
Of Grain and Ukraine
  • June 10, 2022

Of Grain and Ukraine

The chairman of the African Union has announced a trip to Kyiv to discuss the world food crisis caused by the invasion.
A Most Important Import
  • June 06, 2022

A Most Important Import

Saudi Arabia has agreed to increase oil production as demand for Russian oil takes a hit.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka
November 01, 2012

Davai! The Russians and Their Vodka

In this comprehensive, quixotic and addictive book, Edwin Trommelen explores all facets of the Russian obsession with vodka. Peering chiefly through the lenses of history and literature, Trommelen offers up an appropriately complex, rich and bittersweet portrait, based on great respect for Russian culture.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

Faith & Humor
December 01, 2011

Faith & Humor

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955