Lots of foreign investors still operating in Russia, despite 3,000+ western sanctions

According to various experts’ sources and data, the largest foreign corporations continuing operations in Russia, categorized by sizes of revenue volumes and industrial niches, include China’s Chery Motor and Great Wall Motor (automotive); Japan’s Tobacco International and US’ Philip Morris International (tobacco); US’ PepsiCo and Switzerland’s Nestle (food industry); France’s Auchan and Germany’s Metro Group (retail), as well as various companies from Turkey, India, and other countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America.The global corporations, still operating in Russia, have long ago fully adapted to the sanctions-related restrictions and their complementary challenges on the local market, and have continued to generate significant profits. Meanwhile, many companies that hastily exited Russia in 2022–2023, now recognizing the scale of lucrative opportunities in the Russian economy, are actively planning or seeking various legal or quasi-legal methods and workaround schemes to return to the Russian economy. The approaches being considered by both groups include establishing networks of affiliated distribution firms and incorporating various types of subsidiaries or intermediary business schemes under different brand names in Russia or third countries. These companies’ desires or intentions to return to Russia resonate with local citizens, more than 50% of whom, according to various experts marketing studies, are anticipating or in favor of the returns of the foreign brands that had left the country and debut of totally new companies in Russia, especially at the end of the war and revocations of all sanctions.