On March 15, 2022, the European Union officially enacted additional trade restrictions on exports to Russia, in light of the latter nation’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This includes a ban on the export of European motorcycles and/or parts with values over 5,000 Euros. The measure comes as part of a list of additional prohibitions and restrictions on Russia as it continues this war. 

The motorcycle pronouncement, as well as all other decisions issued at the same time, were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on March 15, 2022. According to the E.U.’s rules of governance, that publication means that these rules immediately went into effect as of that publication date. 

The new rules address energy sector concerns, importation of iron and steel products that either originate in or have been exported from Russia, and matters concerning European luxury goods and their export to Russia. Credit rating activities and services concerning Russia are also affected. 

Back to motorcycles, though. As you may already have guessed, motorcycles specifically come up on the “luxury goods” list. Other luxury items listed include caviar, horses, truffles, wines, cigars, perfumes, clothing, jewelry, precious metals and stones, electronics, and yachts. 

Motorcycles aren’t the only vehicles banned from export, of course. The heading for the list of exactly what’s banned in this category specifies a ban from E.U. countries on the export of “Vehicles, except ambulances, for the transport of persons on earth, air or sea of a value exceeding EUR 50 000 each, teleferics, chairlifts, ski-draglines, traction mechanisms for funiculars, motorbikes of a value exceeding EUR 5 000 each, as well as their accessories and spare parts.” 

It then goes on to list equipment subsystems related to those vehicles, as well as the vehicles themselves. The entry for motorbikes spells the official definition out as “Motorcycles (including mopeds) and cycles fitted with an auxiliary motor, with or without side-cars; side-cars.”  

Additionally, some subsystems, such as transmissions, are listed in their own entries in great detail. Since there are so many pieces to cover, there’s also an extremely broad and nonspecific entry that simply reads “Parts,” presumably to cover everything not listed in minute detail in another entry.

Some individual companies have already taken steps to halt exports to Russia on their own, including Harley-Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, and Polaris. BMW also officially stopped export across all segments of its business, including motorcycles and cars, prior to this E.U. export ban. Tire maker Bridgestone also previously halted both export and production in Russia as well.

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