Russian media says Japan ‘lifted’ some anti-war sanctions. What’s really going on?
The claims
This week, a number of Russian media outlets reported that Japan had “eased,” “relaxed,” or “lifted” sanctions against Russia (with some even suggesting it might be the “end of sanctions”). The headlines caught readers’ attention: according to Google Trends, “Japan lifted sanctions” was one of the most popular Russian-language search queries on November 11. The articles were responses to earlier media reports from Russia’s Far East about changes in Tokyo’s sanctions policy.
- On November 10, local news outlet Vladivostok1.ru, citing used car import expert Denis Malykh, reported that the Japanese authorities had “eased sanctions and allowed the import of certain hybrid vehicles to Russia that were previously banned.”
- On the morning of November 11, the news agency RBC Primorye wrote that Japan had “clarified ‘the wording of sanctions’ in a way that allows Russians to import ‘soft’ hybrids.” Without citing the source of this information, the outlet reported that “it’s now possible to purchase some vehicles with electric systems from Honda, Suzuki, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Mercedes, and Audi at auctions.”
As of this writing, Meduza has been unable to find confirmation of this change in materials published by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which oversees sanctions. Japanese officials have also not made any public statements on the matter. The only evidence Denis Malykh’s Telegram channel offered is a screenshot of part of a document listing car models supposedly affected by the decision.
Experts commenting on the reports have said that it’s still too early to talk about the “lifting” of any sanctions, and that whether sanctions have been “eased” or “relaxed” is a matter of interpretation.
But doesn’t allowing the import of some car models mean restrictions have been lifted?
Industry experts have given various assessments of the reported policy adjustment.
Dmitry Klataevsky, director of the company Japan Transit, told RBC Primorye that it’s “hard to call this a relaxation of the ban”:
It’s more accurate to say that [Japanese officials] simply reread and reworded what was originally stated in the anti-Russian sanctions. There was never a specific ban on exporting “soft” hybrids. When they issued these sanctions, they didn’t intend to include those cars. But Japanese brokers and exporters were cautious and decided not to trade anything labeled as a “hybrid.” […] Now, because sales have dropped, the Japanese started reviewing the regulations, looking for workarounds. They figured it out and realized these cars can be exported.
Expert Denis Malykh has referred to the change as a “softening” of sanctions. He speculated that Tokyo simply “can’t lift the sanctions all at once”:
It’s a gradual process, and over time, more cars will likely be approved. Even though Russia isn’t a major car manufacturer, it plays an important role as a consumer in the global market. Demand for cars from Japanese companies is declining, so it’s crucial for them to keep doing business. That’s why they’re starting to ease restrictions, but they can’t remove all the sanctions immediately.
In any case, a clear exception has now been made to the sanctions introduced back in 2023, when Japan banned the export of certain new and used cars to Russia, including hybrids. Dmitry Klataevsky noted that Japanese brokers handling vehicle re-registration for export companies have already confirmed that “soft” hybrids are now cleared for export. This change applies to the “soft” hybrid models of the following vehicles:
- Suzuki Solio, Ignis, Swift, Hustler, Alto, Xbee, Wagon;
- Mazda Flair, Carol;
- Mitsubishi Delica D:2, Delica Mini, eK X;
- Nissan Day-Z;
- Honda Fit, CR-Z, Insight;
- Mercedes E-Class, C-Class;
- Audi A3, Q3.
Could this ‘clarification’ be followed by the ‘softening’ or lifting of other sanctions?
So far, there are no signals from Tokyo that it plans to lift or “soften” any other sanctions. On November 12, Russian state media quoted Japan’s foreign minister, Takeshi Iwaya, as saying that sanctions against Russia would remain in place at least until the end of the war with Ukraine. At the same time, the minister described Vladimir Putin’s remarks at the Valdai Discussion Club on November 7 — in which the president expressed a willingness to develop bilateral relations with Tokyo — as “somewhat positive.”
What is a “soft” hybrid vehicle?
A “soft” hybrid vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle that uses an electric starter-generator but cannot run solely on electricity. These vehicles engage the electric starter-generator in certain modes, such as braking and stopping, but rely on the gasoline engine for movement the rest of then time.