On March 25, the Japanese government announced a package of sanctions targeting Russia that includes measures affecting several businessmen and officials, partnerships with Russian firms, and export controls on a range of luxury goods. Specific terms are expected to be published early next week.
Simultaneously, the ban on exporting luxury goods from Japan to Russia will impact high-end vehicles. According to Kyodo News, the new rules will limit shipments of luxury automobiles as part of the broader sanctions package.
Japan is coordinating its penalties with the European Union’s earlier actions against Russia, adopting a similar approach. Analysts expect the luxury car export cap to resemble the EU threshold of roughly 50,000 euros, a figure echoed by independent automotive consultant Sergei Burgazliev. This price point already restricts a large portion of Lexus offerings, primarily leaving only the UX and NX crossovers and select ES sedans ready for export, while higher-end models face tighter scrutiny.
Even the base prices of models like the LS sedan, LC coupe, RX crossovers, and the GX and LX SUVs place them above the cap, limiting their viability for the Russian market.
In addition, the most expensive Toyota models, including the Land Cruiser 300 SUV and the Alphard minivan, were targeted. Infiniti’s QX80 sits above the threshold as well, while Mazda’s priciest CX-9 and Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport are also affected, based on publicly listed prices in Russia. This pricing barrier is expected to hit premium lines hard, according to Burgazliev, who notes that Infiniti has faced broader challenges globally, while Lexus may feel a strong impact.
During an interview with socialbites, Burgazliev observed that Japanese brands do not enjoy the same market share in Russia as European luxury brands do, with audi, Mercedes, BMW, and Porsche still selling far more. The impact of the cap could therefore be comparatively muted for Japanese makers, but still meaningful for premium sales volumes.
Automotive columnist Igor Morzharetto highlighted that almost all Japanese premium vehicles assembled in Japan are at risk under the new sanctions. He noted that deliveries to Russia have already been constrained, even before the measures took effect. Morzharetto pointed out that a Toyota Land Cruiser, updated for export, commands a much higher price than the 50,000 euro cap and is relatively scarce in Japan. He added that a Highlander had been shipped from an American factory amid a separate embargo on US exports to Russia, underscoring the unsettled state of supply chains during the sanctions period.
Market uncertainty remains high, with Morzharetto suggesting that imports of many foreign brands, including Japanese ones, had already slowed prior to the latest measures. Russian subsidiaries of Japanese manufacturers are still assessing the situation and the market’s importance to their business, even as the policy takes effect. Infiniti, for example, is monitoring developments and evaluating the sanctions’ impact on operations in Russia, according to a company spokesperson. The Russian market remains a key region for Infiniti, with a potential withdrawal not currently on the table.
Responses from Toyota, Lexus, Mazda, and Mitsubishi regarding specific models that might leave Russia as a result of the sanctions, plus the broader availability of vehicles in the country at the time of writing, were not provided by the manufacturers. European officials previously indicated that any car exports to Russia above the 50,000 euro threshold would face restrictions. The US has a separate embargo, prohibiting most car deliveries to Russia, with the rules applying to corporate entities rather than individuals.