General Motors will suspend vehicle exports to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The move follows the application of U.S. sanctions on the country.
“Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine at this time,” a GM spokesperson told Carscoops in a statement. “The loss of life is a tragedy and our overriding concern is for the safety of people in the region.”
The automaker joins Volvo and others in suspending exports to the nation. General Motors no longer operates any manufacturing facilities in Russia after selling its stake in Avtovaz, which is now owned by Renault. It does, however, operate a national sales company for Russia and CIS markets with vehicles sourced from North America and South Korea.
Read Also: Volvo Cars And Trucks Suspend Sales In Russia Following Invasion Of Ukraine
The U.S. government today announced that it is imposing stricter sanctions on Russia’s central bank and other sources of wealth. The sanctions are just the latest in a series of escalating actions taken against Russia after it initiated military action last week.
“Our objective is to make sure that the Russian economy goes backwards if President Putin decides to continue to go forward with an invasion in Ukraine, and we have the tools to continue to do that,” a senior U.S. administration official said on Monday, per Reuters.
General Motors, meanwhile, maintains that it has limited supply chain exposure and is working to mitigate any potential risks to its business and its people. Volkswagen said today that it is suspending delivery of vehicles to dealerships for the time being.
“Deliveries are to resume as soon as the effects of the sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States have been clarified,” a VW spokesperson told Reuters.
VW and Renault, have been forced to announce production pauses this week. As companies monitor developments in the country.
Last week, Nexta.tv tweeted that GM was among a series of automakers that would be suspending shipments to Russia. So far GM is the only one to have confirmed that report to us.
❗️Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Citroen and General Motors have suspended shipments of cars to #Russia.
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 25, 2022
