Japan-Russia Auto Trade in January 2025: Exports Dip, Used Cars Rise
January 2025 saw a notable shift in Japan’s auto shipments to Russia, with car deliveries dropping by 18.9 percent year over year to 7.71 thousand units. Meanwhile, shipments of spare parts grew by 11 percent in the same period. This pattern illustrates how a large exporter responds to sanctions and currency movements, with potential ripple effects felt in global vehicle markets that readers in Canada and the United States will watch closely.
In January the decline in passenger car shipments coincided with a rise in spare parts, signaling a broader adjustment in the trade mix. Cars and spare parts together account for more than 52 percent of Japan’s exports to Russia, underscoring that these two product categories remain the core focus of bilateral auto trade even as volumes shift.
Looking back at 2024, Japanese spending on used cars purchased by Russian residents totaled 6.95 trillion rubles, up 19 percent from 2023 and marking a new high in the country’s secondary vehicle market. This growth reflects ongoing demand for second-hand vehicles in Russia, even as overall import patterns shift and currency movements and sanctions influence consumer choices in the auto sector.
The data also show that purchases of vehicles sourced from China rose sharply during 2024. Russians spent 273.2 billion rubles on used cars from China, more than two times the 2023 level, highlighting China’s key role as a supplier of second-hand vehicles amid evolving trade dynamics.
Earlier reports pointed to a roughly one-third increase in Russia’s use of vehicles, signaling a sustained push in the local market for second-hand cars. This trend, alongside shifts in the import mix from Japan and China, is watched by North American analysts as it can affect global vehicle pricing, supply chains, and cross-border trade patterns. The broader implication is that currency moves and policy changes in key exporting regions may reshape how used cars flow across borders and how auto pricing adjusts in Canada and the United States.
For readers in Canada and the United States, these developments show how sanctions and currency movements in major supplier countries can ripple through the North American auto scene. Dealers, lenders, and importers should monitor currency trends and policy signals, since these can alter demand for both new models and pre-owned inventories in cross-border markets, as well as influence financing terms and lead times.
While the January data demonstrate a short-term dip in new-vehicle shipments to Russia, the larger pattern from 2024 reveals a resilient market for used cars that draws buyers from nearby regions and beyond. The evolution in imports from Japan and China, together with rising domestic demand for second-hand vehicles, paints a picture of a market adapting to sanctions and currency shifts while continuing to influence price levels, dealer strategies, and cross-border trade routes.