Tightening loopholes: Russia finally sees sharp drop in restricted industrial imports propping up its military-industrial complex

Among measuring instruments imported from China, Chinese manufacturers top the list, but German firm Rohde & Schwarz ranks third, and U.S.-based Keysight Technologies ranks fifth — both companies have previously been linked by The Insider to military-grade devices like oscilloscopes and signal generators, essential for testing and configuring electronic warfare systems.

Of the top 100 firms exporting measuring instruments from China to Russia, 25 are non-Chinese, accounting for about one-third of all exports in that category. For comparison, in 2021, imports in this sector totaled just $160 million, and only 11 non-Chinese firms made the top 100.

As for metalworking equipment — lathes, milling machines, and CNC centers — two brands from the democratic world dominate: Japan’s Tsugami and South Korea’s Hyundai Wia, accounting for a combined 21% of all imported production tools from Western countries. Tsugami has led exports to Russia via China in both 2023 and 2024, outpacing all other Western brands. From 2021 to 2024, its shipments increased by roughly 150 times.

However, in previous years, Chinese brands were the most notable: Neway CNC in 2023, General Technology Group Dalian Machine Tool in 2022, and Jinan Bodor CNC in 2021. Japanese Tsugami’s record in 2024 represents a rare instance of Western machinery imports into wartime Russia outpacing the delivery of Chinese equipment.

Still, when it comes to metallurgical equipment, non-Chinese manufacturers are almost entirely absent. Among the top 100 brands imported into Russia in this category, only three are non-Chinese, and they account for just 4% of the total volume.

This suggests that in sectors like smelting, forging, and rolling, Russia and China have nearly achieved self-sufficiency. Japanese precision multi-axis CNC machines continue to be in demand, though China appears to be gradually improving the quality of its own metalworking machinery