Japan has lost the Russian automobile market.
This was stated by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.
A Japanese journalist asked her a corresponding question during a briefing, RIA Novosti reports.
Zakharova stated that from the point of view of the automobile industry, the Russian market is lost to Japan.
At the same time, the MFA representative emphasized that Russia is not to blame for this. Tokyo, trying to isolate Russia, has harmed itself, Zakharova summed up.
The Russian car market is #1 in Europe for manufacturers. Until 2022, many countries successfully did business in the Russian Federation, but then for political reasons they decided to leave.
Japan was one of those countries. But the country is not burning bridges and hints that it may return in the future.
For example, Mitsubishi has patented its car brands in Russia. This speaks volumes about how business is preparing for possible political changes.
After 2022, Chinese companies took the leading role among foreign automakers in the Russian market.