Japan has recommenced purchasing Russian oil with a delivery expected from Russia’s Sakhalin blend crude on Sunday. 95% of Japan’s oil is imported from the Middle East leaving the country with limited options for importing replacements.
Russia’s FESCO Transportation Group have recorded a 38% increase in shipments between Chinese Ports and Vladivostok in Q1 2026 over the same period last year, with the bulk of these being Chinese exports to Russia.
Russia is upgrading its Taman Port near Krasnodar to help develop urea and other fertilizer exports, specifically for Asian markets now seeking supply chain alternatives to the sole Middle East route. When completed, the port’s capacity will increase to 3.5 million tonnes of ammonia and 1.5 million tonnes of urea per year.
The Russian Defense Minister has been visiting Pyongyang and meeting with North Korea’s top military officials, as well as the President, Kim Jong-un, with the two sides agreeing a strategic military alliance to 2031.
Russia’s Rosatom have received an operating licence for Bangladesh’s Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, which will commence operations this year and has been largely financed by Russian state loans.
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Russia has agreed to sell diesel, auto and aviation fuel to Mongolia at the same domestic rates as are available in Russia. A liter of diesel in Mongolia is currently half the price in Germany.
The Russian and Indonesian Presidents and their respective economic development teams have met in Moscow. We deep dive the meetings that were held, with an onus on energy, bilateral trade growth and mutual investments. Indonesia has a population double that of Russia and an economy growing five times faster.
Global supplies of helium have dropped by 30% after Qatar, the world’s largest producer has had exports dry up as a result of the Iran war. The United States is now the largest global exporter and is making huge mark ups on supplies to its allies. Russia is the world’s third largest exporter and has banned exports to ‘unfriendly countries’. Helium is a critical gas for use in semi-conductor and other hi-tech manufacturing. This is very bad news for European and some East Asian IT manufacturers, with global ramifications.
Logistical problems in the Middle East, combined with increased costs for shipping oil and gas from others sources in North America, Latin America and Africa mean that East Asian governments are once again looking at Russia and the Northern Sea Route for deliveries. We examine the pros and cons.
The Russian and Indonesian Presidents are meeting in Moscow to discuss trade development, along with their respective economic and trade teams. Indonesia is a full member of BRICS, and has a Free Trade Agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union that entered into force last year. Bilateral trade is currently worth about US$4.7 billion.
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.
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