Since the beginning of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, it has been very difficult for those inside the country to purchase new British cars because of sanctions.
However, there are still believed to be ways around this as some owners are allegedly having their cars delivered via countries friendly to both Russia and the UK.
One of the countries under suspicion is Azerbaijan with the British car industry seeing a 2,000 percent increase in sales to the nation neighbouring Russia.
However, the British car industry has said that the sudden rise in cars being sent to the country has nothing to do with Russia but is instead because of a growing desire for British cars.
Data from HM Revenue and Customs suggests that the British car industry sent up to £43million worth of cars to Azerbaijan in January alone.
This now makes Azerbaijan the 12th biggest foreign market for British cars above that of Spain, Switzerland, and Canada.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) told Sky News: “UK vehicle exports to Azerbaijan – as to many countries globally – have increased due to a number of factors, not least a flourishing economy, new model launches and pent-up demand.”
While the SMMT remains adamant that there is a growing market for British cars in the region, other figures suggest that in the same period, the number of cars going from Britain to Azerbaijan rose, so too did the number of cars going from Azerbaijan to Russia.
The SMMT claimed there was no evidence of the car industry’s commitment to sanctions against Russia being compromised.
They explained: “Wherever the UK automotive industry exports, it is committed to compliance with all trade and economic sanctions and continues to work closely with government and the new Office For Sanctions to ensure the effective implementation of the regulations.
“There is no evidence available of that commitment being compromised, and it is right to monitor for any potential vulnerabilities in a fast-moving and evolving environment.
“The automotive industry remains in dialogue with government and other international partners enforcing co-ordinated trade restrictions, to ensure adherence to both the letter and the spirit of the sanctions, across all vulnerable sectors.”
Fears over British cars entering Russia when they shouldn’t, come weeks after the industry asked Chancellor Jeremy Hunt for help to increase demand for electric cars.
The industry called for a cut on VAT on the new cars to make them more appealing to new buyers as sales lag behind where experts expected them to be.
Chief Executive of the SMMT Mike Hawes said: “The Chancellor must end the perverse fiscal system that discourages drivers from moving away from fossil fuels and send a clear signal that the time to go electric is now.
“Success will see our economy powered up by zero-emission mobility, delivering cleaner air, quieter roads and cheaper running costs, ending the uncertainty we are seeing amongst motorists.”
