Russia continues to import coveted Western goods thanks to a global network of intermediaries. Almost all major Western electronics, automobiles and luxury goods brands announced their withdrawal from Russia last year.
But Russian demand for luxury goods remains strong, and merchants in Dubai and elsewhere are meeting it. Russian analysis firm Autostat reported that these indirect imports accounted for 12% of the 626,300 new passenger cars sold in Russia in 2022. The Russian Trade Ministry published a list of dozens of companies whose products could be imported without their consent.