Finance
Sweden's Autoliv sells Russian business to buyer of former Mercedes-Benz plant
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on February 28, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 25, 2026
Autoliv sells its Russian business to Avtodom, joining many Western companies exiting Russia since the Ukraine invasion.
(Reuters) - Swedish auto supplier Autoliv has sold its Russian business to local automotive group Avtodom, which has already snapped up German carmaker Mercedes-Benz's former plant in the country, Russian corporate records showed on Friday.
More than a thousand Western companies have exited Russia since it invaded Ukraine three years ago, often selling for nominal amounts as Moscow has demanded discounts of at least 60%.
U.S. President Donald Trump's push for a quick deal to end the war has sparked speculation about whether firms might seek to stay in Russia or even return, but none have yet announced plans to do so, and the fate of those companies seized by Moscow may give them pause for thought.
Autoliv, the world's largest producer of auto safety gear, was manufacturing airbags, seat belts and steering systems at its plant in Togliatti around 1,000 km (621 miles) from Moscow and where Russia's largest carmaker Avtovaz is based.
Autoliv CEO Mikael Bratt told Reuters in April 2024 that the company planned to sell to an undisclosed buyer, but needed approvals that it expected to take a few months. Exit deals from Russia can often take far longer.
Car dealer Avtodom, which purchased all Mercedes-Benz's Russian assets in April 2023, became the new owner of Autoliv's Russian subsidiary on Thursday, the corporate records showed. Details of the ownership transfer were first reported by Russia's Interfax news agency.
Avtodom declined to comment. Autoliv did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In February 2022, Autoliv, along with other companies, suspended its Russian operations supplying car parts for Western manufacturers, such as Volkswagen and Renault. Those carmakers have also sold their assets in Russia.
(Reporting by Gleb Stolyarov; additional reporting by Marie Mannes; Editing by Alexander Marrow and Kirsten DOnovan)
Autoliv's Russian business was sold to local automotive group Avtodom.
Autoliv was manufacturing airbags, seat belts, and steering systems at its plant in Togliatti.
More than a thousand Western companies have exited Russia since it invaded Ukraine, often selling for nominal amounts due to Moscow demanding significant discounts.
Autoliv CEO Mikael Bratt mentioned that the company planned to sell to an undisclosed buyer but needed approvals that were expected to take a few months.
In February 2022, Autoliv suspended its Russian operations supplying car parts for Western manufacturers like Volkswagen and Renault.
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