🚗💸 How Da Kala Kala From Russia Stay Getting Their Good Stuff Now
🚗💸 How Da Kala Kala From Russia Stay Getting Their Good Stuff Now
More than one year afta Vladimir Putin’s invasion, da global trading web stay adjusted to da Western sanctions. Get plenny middlemen sending cars, electronics and more kine stuff to Russia.
By one dusty roadside on da outskirts of Dubai, Sohrab Fani stay making money from da West’s response to da war in Ukraine: his shop installs seat heaters into cars being re-exported to Russia.
Had about twelve thousand heating pads in his warehouse for years, he said, until Russia’s invasion and the resulting Western sanctions wen kick out American, European and Japanese automakers from da Russian market. Now, Russians import those cars via Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates — and because cars shipped to da Middle East tend to be made for warm climates, accessory shops like Mr. Fani’s stay doing good business getting them ready for winter weather. 🚗❄️
“When da Russians came, I sold out,” Mr. Fani said, so he ordered several thousand more seat-heating pads. “In Russia, they have sanctions. Here, there is not. Here, there is business.” 💰👍
More than a year into President Vladimir V. Putin’s invasion, Western sanctions have hurt Russia’s economy but not crippled it. The web of global trade has adjusted, allowing the Russian leader to mostly keep his promise: that the war wouldn’t drastically disrupt the lifestyle of consumption for Russian elites. 🕸️🔄
Russia still importing prized Western goods, enabled by a global network of middlemen. In Moscow, da latest iPhones available for same-day delivery for less than the retail price in Europe. Department stores still stock Gucci, Prada and Burberry. Car-sales sites list new Land Rovers, Audis and BMWs. 📱👜🚘
Just about all of da West’s leading electronics, automobile and luxury brands announced last year that they were pulling out of Russia. Not all of their goods technically violate sanctions, but commerce with Russia became really hard because of public outrage, pressure from employees, and restrictions on semiconductor exports and financial transactions. 📉🚫
Still, Russian demand for luxury items stay strong, and traders in Dubai and elsewhere stay meeting it. “The wealthy people always stay wealthy,” said Ecaterina Condratiuc, the director of communications at a Dubai luxury car showroom who recently shipped a $300,000 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT to a Russian dealership. The war, she added, “did not affect them.” 💎💲
In Dubai, buyers roam the showrooms of a big auto market, haggling for Western cars — the Dodge Ram is a recent favorite — to buy in cash and ship to Russia. Some are rich Russians buying vehicles for themselves, or small-time entrepreneurs looking to resell cars for a quick buck. 💰🚗🚛
In other cases, Russian car dealerships, after losing their official connections with Western brands, are organizing their own imports, sometimes of hundreds of cars at a time. The Russian analytics company Autostat reported that such indirect imports made up 12 percent of the 626,300 new passenger cars sold in Russia in 2022. 🚙🚗🚚
Electronics also take roundabout routes to the Russian market. In Dubai’s old commercial neighborhood, Deira, electronics wholesalers stay scrambling to recruit Russian-speaking staff. “It’s an open secret thing,” said the owner of Bright Zone International General Trading L.L.C., a few storefronts down from a wholesaler of hair extensions. “Competition is very tough right now for Russia.” 📲
Da owner, who asked dat he only be called by his last name, Tura, said he shipped hundreds of smartphones and laptops into Russia last year before da holiday season. One potential buyer wanted a quote for 15,000 iPhones, Mr. Tura said, but apparently found a better deal somewhere else. 📱💼
In another electronics shop nearby, one Afghan salesman, Abdullah Ahmadzai, said he had arrived in Dubai less than one year earlier, and had since learned enough Russian to negotiate with his Russian-speaking customers. Across the street, one man from Tajikistan, one former Soviet republic, said he and his colleague quickly found work in a shop selling phones, laptops and drones. 🎮💻🎧
“All da stores here looking for people who speak Russian,” he said. “We got lucky.” 🗣️🍀
Afta plenty Western companies pulled out of Russia, Mr. Putin’s government encouraged unauthorized imports of their goods from other countries. Da Russian trade ministry published one list of plenty companies whose products could be imported without their makers’ okay, including Apple, Audi, Volvo and Yamaha. 🍏🚗🚜🎹
“Whoever wants to bring in whatever luxury goods will be able to do it,” Mr. Putin promised last May.
One Russian report estimated that such “parallel imports” of laptops, tablets and smartphones totaled $1.5 billion last year. At da same time, Chinese cars and electronics have flooded onto da Russian market. 🇨🇳📱🚗
“You can bring over whatever you like, as long as you get money,” said Pyotr Bakanov, one auto journalist based in Moscow. “Everyone who isn’t lazy is bringing cars over.” 💸🚗
Da new trade routes mostly go through countries that have friendly relations with Moscow. Western analysts and officials have pointed to Turkey, China and former Soviet republics like Armenia and Kazakhstan as countries redirecting Western goods to Russia. They say that the Kremlin is taking advantage of those imports not just to make da people used to foreign phones and cars happy, but also to source microchips for weapons used against Ukraine. 🗺️🔀🔫
Mr. Bakanov, like other Russian car bloggers and journalists, has gotten into the business himself: he posts ads on the messaging app Telegram, offering to import cars “to order from any part of the world.” He said that foreign car parts also coming in via parallel import — some are now available in Russia for lower prices than before the war, when those parts were sold by authorized dealers charging high premiums. 📲🚗💰
The workarounds have become so common that Russian car publications run regular reviews of cars made for foreign markets. The multimedia console in the Toyota Camry made for China only operates in Chinese, one popular auto website warned in February; the reviewer suggested holding a smartphone translating app up to the display. 🚗🇨🇳📱
In the Dubai car market one March evening, Sergei Kashkarov sat in the passenger seat of a parked gray Toyota, negotiating his latest deal: sending six Mitsubishi cars to a dealership in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk by ferry and truck, via Iran and Kazakhstan. Mr. Kashkarov had moved to Dubai from Siberia in 2021 and, after the invasion, established himself as a broker connecting Russian car dealers with Dubai suppliers. 🚗🚚⛴️
Da new trade patterns show up in international statistics. Fo’ example, car exports from da European Union to Russia dropped to about 1 billion euros in 2022, down from 5 billion euros in 2021. But E.U. exports to Kazakhstan went up nearly fourfold, to more than 700 million euros, and exports to da Emirates increased ’bout 40 percent, to 2.4 billion euros. Armenia even reported dat its car imports more than quintupled to $712 million last year. 📊💱🚘
Western car companies generally stay claimin’ dey no know ’bout their cars going to Russia in any big quantities, or ’bout a spike in sales in da Emirates. “We haven’t seen any of dat,” said Jim Rowan, da chief executive of Volvo. Paul Jacobson, da chief financial officer of General Motors, said, “I’m not aware of anything going to Russia.” But da people in da industry say dat carmakers would have hard time keepin’ track of sales through middlemen. Plus, da U.S. officials responsible fo’ enforcing restrictions stay more focused on goods dat can be used fo’ military purposes. 🚗🏭🔒
So, da flow of luxury goods from da West to Russia stay still goin’ strong, even wit’ da sanctions and all da trade adjustments. Da Russian elites still get their hands on da latest gadgets, fancy cars, and high-end fashion. And da middlemen and traders in places like Dubai stay findin’ ways to meet da demand and profit from da situation. Da game might have changed, but da rich in Russia stay livin’ da good life. 💼📱🚗🥂
Da story of how Russia’s rich get their luxuries now show how people adapt and find loopholes in da face of challenges. It demonstrates da resilience and resourcefulness of individuals and da interconnectedness of da global trade network. As long as there’s demand and opportunity, people will find ways to get what they want. And in da case of Russia’s elite, nothin’ seems to stand in their way of enjoyin’ da finer things in life. 🌍💸🛍️
So, there you have it, my friend. Da tale of how da rich in Russia keep gettin’ their luxuries, even in da midst of sanctions and trade restrictions. It’s a story of adaptability, creativity, and a desire for the finer things in life. And who knows what other trade secrets and maneuvers are happenin’ behind da scenes? Da world of global trade is always evolving, and da pursuit of luxury knows no boundaries. Keep watchin’ and see what unfolds next in this ever-changing game of international commerce. 🌟🌐💼
NOW IN ENGLISH
🚗💸 How Russia’s Wealthy Still Get Their Hands on the Good Stuff
After more than a year since Vladimir Putin’s invasion, da global trading web dun made adjustments fo’ deal wit’ Western sanctions. Dey get plenny middlemen sending cars, electronics, and all kine of goodies to Russia.
Out there on one dusty roadside near Dubai, Sohrab Fani stay makin’ big bucks from da West’s reaction to da war in Ukraine: his shop stay puttin’ seat heaters in cars dat get re-exported to Russia.
He had ’bout twelve thousand heating pads sittin’ in his warehouse fo’ years, he said, until Russia wen invade and da Western sanctions wen make American, European, and Japanese car makers stay away from da Russian market. Now, da Russians import dose cars through Dubai in da United Arab Emirates — and since cars shipped to da Middle East usually made fo’ hot climates, shops like Mr. Fani’s stay doin’ good business, fixin’ ’em up fo’ winter weather. 🚗❄️
“When da Russians came, I sold out,” Mr. Fani said, so he wen order several thousand mo’ seat-heating pads. “In Russia, dey get sanctions. But here, no can stop us. We get business.” 💰👍
Even afta more than a year since President Vladimir V. Putin wen invade, da Western sanctions no broke down Russia’s economy completely. Da global trade web wen adjust, and dat allow da Russian leader fo’ mostly keep his promise dat da war no go mess up da lifestyles of da rich folks in Russia. 🕸️🔄
Russia still bring in da Western goods dat everybody stay craving, thanks to dis global network of middlemen. In Moscow, you can get da latest iPhones, and dey go deliver ’em same day, and da price stay lower than in Europe. Da department stores still stay stockin’ up on Gucci, Prada, and Burberry. Car sales sites go list new Land Rovers, Audis, and BMWs. 📱👜🚘
Almost all da major Western brands fo’ electronics, cars, and luxury goods wen announce last year dat dey stay pullin’ out from Russia. Technically, not all their products violate da sanctions, but doin’ business wit’ Russia become real hard wit’ da public gettin’ mad, pressure from employees, and all da restrictions on exportin’ semiconductors and financial transactions. 📉🚫
But still, da demand fo’ luxury goods stay strong in Russia, and da traders in Dubai and other places stay findin’ ways to meet dat demand. “Da rich folks always stay rich,” said Ecaterina Condratiuc, da communication director at one fancy car showroom in Dubai. She just shipped one Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT, worth $300,000, to one Russian dealership. Da war, she said, “no bother dem at all.” 💎💲
Over in Dubai, you can see buyers goin’ from one showroom to anotha in one big car market, hagglin’ fo’ Western cars like da Dodge Ram, and den buyin’ ’em in cash to ship ’em to Russia. Some rich Russians buyin’ cars fo’ themselves, and others small-time entrepreneurs lookin’ fo’ quick profits by resellin’ da cars. 💰🚗🚛
Den you get Russian car dealerships dat lost their official connections wit’ da Western brands, so dey start organizin’ their own imports, sometimes bringin’ in hundreds of cars at a time. One Russian report from Autostat said dat dese indirect imports made up 12 percent of da 626,300 new passenger cars sold in Russia in 2022. 🚙🚗🚚
Electronics also find deir way to da Russian market through roundabout routes. In Dubai’s old commercial neighborhood, Deira, electronics wholesalers hustlin’ to hire staff who can speak Russian.
“It’s like one open secret,” said da owner of Bright Zone International General Trading L.L.C., just a few shops away from one wholesaler sellin’ hair extensions. “Competition stay tough right now for Russia.”
Da owner, who wanted to be known only by his last name Tura, said he shipped hundreds of smartphones and laptops to Russia last year before da holiday season. One potential buyer even asked fo’ a quote on 15,000 iPhones, but ended up findin’ a bettah deal somewhere else. 📱💼
In anotha nearby electronics shop, Abdullah Ahmadzai, an Afghan salesman, said he arrived in Dubai less than one year ago and already learned enough Russian to negotiate with his Russian-speaking customers. Across da street, one man from Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic, said he and his colleague quickly found jobs at one shop sellin’ phones, laptops, and drones. 🎮💻🎧
“All da stores here lookin’ fo’ people who can speak Russian,” he said. “We got lucky.” 🗣️🍀
Afta many Western companies pulled out of Russia, Mr. Putin’s government encouraged unauthorized imports of their goods from otha countries. Da Russian trade ministry even published one list of companies whose products could be imported without da manufacturers’ consent, includin’ Apple, Audi, Volvo, and Yamaha. 🍏🚗🚜🎹
“Whoever like bring in luxury goods, dey can do it,” Mr. Putin promised last May.
One Russian report estimated dat dese “parallel imports” of laptops, tablets, and smartphones reached $1.5 billion last year. At da same time, Chinese cars and electronics been floodin’ into da Russian market. 🇨🇳📱🚗
“You can bring whatevah you like as long as you got money,” said Pyotr Bakanov, one car journalist based in Moscow. “Everybody who’s willin’ to work hard been bringin’ cars over.”
Da new trade routes mostly go through countries dat have friendly relations with Moscow. Western analysts and officials point to Turkey, China, and former Soviet republics like Armenia and Kazakhstan as countries redirectin’ Western goods to Russia. Dey say da Kremlin takin’ advantage of dose imports not only to keep da people happy with foreign phones and cars, but also to get microchips fo’ weapons used against Ukraine. 🗺️🔀🔫
Mr. Bakanov, like otha Russian car bloggers and journalists, got into da business himself. He posts ads on da Telegram messaging app, offerin’ to import cars “to order from any part of da world.” He also mentioned dat foreign car parts comin’ in through parallel imports, and now dey even available in Russia at lower prices than before da war, when authorized dealers charged high premiums. 📲🚗💰
Da workarounds have become so common dat Russian car publications now regularly review cars made fo’ foreign markets. One popular auto website warned in February dat da multimedia console in da Toyota Camry made specifically fo’ China only operate in Chinese. Da reviewer suggested holdin’ up one smartphone translation app to read da display. 🚗
In da car market of Dubai one evening in March, Sergei Kashkarov was sittin’ in da passenger seat of a gray Toyota, negotiatin’ his latest deal. He was arrangin’ to send six Mitsubishi cars to one dealership in da Siberian city of Novosibirsk. Da cars would travel by ferry and truck, passin’ through Iran and Kazakhstan. Mr. Kashkarov, who moved from Siberia to Dubai in 2021, established himself as one broker connectin’ Russian car dealers with suppliers in Dubai.
“I got plenty of work,” he said with a smile. “No complaints from me.”
Da new trade patterns are reflectin’ in international statistics as well. Fo’ example, car exports from da European Union to Russia dropped to ’bout 1 billion euros in 2022, down from 5 billion euros in 2021.
However, E.U. exports to Kazakhstan nearly quadrupled, exceedin’ 700 million euros, and exports to da Emirates increased ’bout 40 percent, reachin’ 2.4 billion euros. Armenia reported dat its car imports more than quintupled, totalin’ $712 million last year. 📊💱🚘
Western car companies generally deny bein’ aware of significant quantities of their cars headin’ to Russia, or seein’ a surge in sales in da Emirates.
“We haven’t seen any of dat,” said Jim Rowan, da CEO of Volvo.
Paul Jacobson, da CFO of General Motors, also stated, “I’m not aware of anythin’ goin’ to Russia.”
Industry officials say it’s difficult fo’ carmakers to track sales through intermediaries. Moreover, U.S. officials focus more on restrictin’ goods that can be used fo’ military purposes.
So, da flow of luxury goods from da West to Russia still goin’ strong, despite da sanctions and trade adjustments. Da Russian elite continue to indulge in da latest gadgets, fancy cars, and high-end fashion. And da middlemen and traders in places like Dubai findin’ ways to meet da demand and profit from da situation. Da game may have changed, but da wealthy in Russia continue to live da good life. 💼📱🚗🥂
Dis story reveals how Russia’s rich folks manage to get their hands on da luxuries dey desire, even in da face of sanctions and trade restrictions. It demonstrates da adaptability, creativity, and desire fo’ da finer things in life. And who knows what otha trade secrets and maneuvers are happenin’ behind da scenes? Da world of global trade is always evolvin’, and da pursuit of luxury knows no boundaries. Keep watchin’ to see what unfolds next in dis ever-changin’ game of international commerce. 🌟🌐💼
