Surge in UK car exports to Azerbaijan sparks speculation over Russia trade

An analysis by Sky News TV indicates that a sharp increase in the export of cars from Britain to Azerbaijan coincided with a similar trend – though this time from Azerbaijan to Russia.

Although, according to the United Kingdom's Tax Office, no cars were exported directly to Russia, in January 2024 alone, cars worth up to £45 million made their way to Azerbaijan. This exceeds the export values to Switzerland or Canada.

The average price of a car sent to Azerbaijan is over £120,000. The British Automotive Manufacturers Association states there is no basis to believe that cars exported to Azerbaijan end up in Russia, proposing it is a market "developing on its own terms".

However, the average GDP per capita has remained consistent for years at £12,000. Considering data from the turn of 2018/2019 and 2022/2023, the growth in vehicle exports from the UK to Azerbaijan was over 2000 percent. Kazakhstan was second with an increase of about 800 percent. The third place is Indonesia, where this value was just below 500 percent.

Bentley has already responded to this information, stating it "ended operations in Russia in 2022" and that the brand is "fully committed to fully complying with current and future sanctions".