LONDON -- British automakers Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin paused vehicle shipments to Russia, as sanctions over the war in Ukraine had created growing trading obstacles for the car industry.
"The current global context also presents us with trading challenges so we are pausing the delivery of vehicles into the Russian market and continually monitoring the situation on behalf of our global customer base," JLR said on Tuesday.
Aston Martin said because of sanctions imposed against Russia it was pausing sales and vehicle shipments to the country.
"As a global brand that exports product to both Ukraine and Russia, Aston Martin is closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Ukraine," the company said.
"Our primary concern is the safety and wellbeing of our partners and customers in Kyiv and their families and we remain in close contact with our local dealer at this difficult time," Aston Martin added in a statement.
Sales of Jaguar Land Rover vehicles in Russia fell 6 percent to 6,909 last year, according to data from the Moscow-based industry association AEB.
Aston Martin said that together Russia and Ukraine make up less than 1 percent of its global sales.
Britain's government has imposed harsh financial sanctions on Russia and several Russian companies and banks in a bid to pressure the Kremlin to pull back from the conflict, while shipping and air cargo routes have also been disrupted.
Some Russian banks have been shut out of the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT), a secure messaging system to ensure rapid cross-border payments which has become the principal mechanism to finance international trade.
Shipping giants like the world's biggest shipping lines, MSC and Maersk have suspended container shipping to and from Russia, deepening the country's isolation after it invaded Ukraine.
