Moscow — Automotive Technologies, a Russian firm, revealed that it has begun assembling Citroen C5 Aircross models in phases at a plant south of Moscow that was previously held by Stellantis, with the cars due to go on sale in dealerships in May.
Reuters exclusively revealed in February, using customs data and two sources familiar with the situation, that Automotive Technologies had imported at least 42 car kits from China for Citroen model assembly at the plant.
According to the data, Dongfeng Motor Group manufactured the kits in China.
Stellantis told Reuters in February that it had “lost control of its corporations in Russia” as of December 31, 2023.
The moves illustrate Western corporations’ loss of control over their brands after suspending or quitting Russian enterprises during Moscow’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, as well as Moscow’s growing reliance on Beijing, particularly in the automobile industry.
Stellantis reported a loss of 144 million euros ($155.75 million) in February due to the closure of its Russian business, which included 87 million euros in cash and equivalents.
Chinese trade figures 2023 show that car exports to Russia were over seven times more than in 2022, with a value increase of almost $10 billion.
Dongfeng and Stellantis, the world’s third-largest manufacturer by revenue, have a commercial joint venture in China, which allows Dongfeng to build and sell Stellantis vehicles in China.
