Russia-Africa trade reached US$35 billion in 2025 with Russian exports including grain, dairy, and poultry exports, while African agricultural imports (coffee, fruit) to Russia also surged. Key areas include agricultural goods, military contracts, and nuclear energy, with Russia actively reducing trade barriers and diversifying into the processed foods and high-tech sectors. We cover Russia-Africa trade, investment, and market entry opportunities and provide your guide to navigating the commercial landscape and forging strategic partnerships for growth in Africa’s emerging markets.
Russia-Egypt bilateral agricultural trade increased 7% in Q1 2026, with Russian exports rising 5%, according to the Russian Agriculture Ministry. Russian supplies traditionally consists of grains and oil and fat products, while imports from Egypt are mainly fruit, vegetables and berries. Trade in mineral fertilizers also grew by 68% last year.
China’s imports of Russian soybean are at their highest level in nearly three years as agricultural supply chains shifts elsewhere prove beneficial to Russian exports. The crop is a staple of Chinese cuisine.
Russia has more than doubled its wheat exports to Sudan, while the country endures a civil war now extending into its fourth year.
Thai investors have been acquired several pig farming assets in Russia’s Novogorod region. Pork consumption in both Russia and Asia is increasing, making this an apparent win-win situation for investors.
Russia’s Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Maxim Oreshkin, has stated that Russia’s foreign trade has increased, not decreased since western sanctions were imposed on the country in 2022. We crunch the numbers to look at what has changed and where Russian exports markets have declined, increased, and in which commodities.
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The latest Russia-Cuba Intergovernmental meeting has just taken place in Moscow, with some 90 Russian companies expressing interest in providing agricultural exports and investments into the country. Pork and flour supplies are especially needed with these a staple of Cuban cuisine.
Russian agriculture exporters are targeting South China’s ‘Greater Bay Area’ as a new export market as products diversify to different regions of the country a long way from the northern border. The Greater Bay Area includes Guangdong Province in addition to Hong Kong and Macau and is one of China’s most affluent regions.
Russia’s Segezha Group plans to begin supplying LNG tanker plywood to an Asian – possibly South Korean – shipyard for the construction of seven LNG container vessels. Segezha estimates that annual global demand for LNG plywood in shipbuilding totals tens of thousands of cubic meters and intends to be a major industry supplier.
Russia is looking to increase supplies of pork and grain to Vietnam after Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh discussed the matter with Russia’s Minister of Agriculture, Oksana Lut, in Moscow. Vietnam has Asia’s highest per capita consumption of pork meat.
Russia has delivered 29 tons of humanitarian aid to Mozambique, sent via the huge Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft. The airlift delivered food supplies, essential items, as well as tents and blankets for the population affected by flooding in Mozambique.
India is discussing increasing the supplies of fertilizer from Russia as imports from the Middle East have ceased and China has also prohibited exports. The Indian summer crop planting season has begun and lasts through until the start of the June monsoon season, meaning the situation is becoming time critical.
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