Russian criticizes serious defects in three Chinese imported truck brands.

As signs of thawing relations between the United States and Russia emerge, there are uncertainties facing Chinese automobile exports to Russia. The Russian Minister of Industry and Trade recently criticized Chinese auto companies for penetrating the Russian market, pointing out serious defects in imported trucks from three Chinese brands that do not meet a series of mandatory Russian requirements.

According to a report from the mainland’s Caijing Network on February 14, on February 10, the Russian Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology announced the cancellation of certification for a product from Shaanxi Heavy Truck, a Chinese commercial vehicle company, and suspended its sales in Russia. The agency stated that this product did not meet a series of mandatory Russian requirements for noise control, rear crash protection, and side impact protection. Russia has imported 15,000 units of this heavy truck.

Prior to this, according to reports from various media outlets including the Russian news agency Sputnik, on February 5, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Andreyevich Alikhanov criticized three Chinese truck brands for serious defects.

Alikhanov pointed out at the time that Chinese manufacturers are actively infiltrating the Russian car market, with their market share reaching new highs. Despite measures taken by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade such as adjusting recycling fees to try to balance the situation, more stringent certification work is still needed for these vehicles, especially to ensure that mass-produced vehicles comply with regulations.

Caijing Network cited sources as saying that the three truck brands involved may be Shaanxi Heavy Truck, China National Heavy Duty Truck Group, and FAW Jiefang.

Reports indicate that China’s automotive industry is concerned that this is a negative signal from Russia. Xie Guangyao, a veteran in the commercial vehicle industry, stated that the product banned from sale in Russia is one of the main export models of Shaanxi Heavy Truck, but it is relatively easy to switch between different product models. He believes that the current risk lies in whether Russia’s scrutiny will continue to expand.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine led to sanctions from Western countries, China’s market share in Russia has steadily increased.

According to reports from mainland media, since 2023, Russia has become China’s largest export market for automobiles. In 2022, China exported 162,000 vehicles to Russia, an increase of 461.1% to 909,000 vehicles in 2023. In 2024, China’s automobile exports to Russia reached 1.158 million vehicles, accounting for about 20% of China’s total automobile exports.

However, since 2024, Russia has started taking a series of measures to tighten car imports. Russia’s policies include increasing import procedures for Chinese automobiles, sealing loopholes where Chinese cars are transshipped from Central Asia to lower tariffs, and significantly raising recycling fees on imported vehicles.

Alikhanov recently stated in an interview with Russian media that in order to support the development of local automotive companies, Russia has requested local automotive companies with Chinese investment to increase the proportion of Russian components used.

Caijing reported that recently, Russian President Putin and U.S. President Trump spoke and expressed a willingness to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. If the sanctions imposed by Europe and the United States are lifted after the war ends, the landscape of the Russian automotive market will undergo changes.

Trump confirmed on February 12 that both Putin and Ukrainian President Zelensky had spoken with him by phone, expressing desires for peace. Trump also mentioned a future meeting with Putin. This meeting is seen by many as a significant shift in U.S.-Russia relations.

Yao Yuan, a professor at the University of St. Thomas in the United States specializing in international studies, recently told Dajiyuan that after the war ends, the European market will recover, and there will no longer be a need for economic sanctions on Russia, allowing Europe to purchase Russian natural gas again. The regime most significantly affected by the loss of interests will be the Chinese Communist regime, as Russia will no longer sell energy products to China cheaply, leading to higher energy prices for China in the future.