Russia’s total trade reached about US$745 billion during 2025, also showcasing a significant, albeit shifting, trade surplus of about US$120 billion. In this section we cover all news concerning Russian trade developments, with Russian exporters increasingly reaching out into new markets on a global basis as it pivots away from the West. This is the definitive source on Russian trade. Get the latest data, analysis, and news on Russia’s import/export activities, trade agreements, and increasing commercial partnerships with the Global South.
The Russian Defense Minister, Andrei Belousov, has been visiting Togo to discuss military and security cooperation. The country provides access to the volatile Sahel region, and also provides a West African Port of strategic interesst to the Russian Navy.
The Iran conflict has cut off Europe from its normal Southeast Asian aviation routes, yet Russia has been able to call on regional members of the Commonwealth of Independent States, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, as well as its new Asian diplomatic strategy, to reroute flights to the east and use Eurasian connectivity to access Southeast Asian tourist destinations. This move could ultimately open up new transport hubs in Central Asia to service these markets in problems persist in the Middle East.
South Korea is poised to join the Trans-Arctic Corridor and work with Rosatom on using the Northern Sea Route for trade with Russia and Europe, according to Rosatom’s CEO. Rosatom provide nuclear-powered icebreaker services across the Russian Arctic.
As we predicted would happen, shortages created by the Iran conflict are starting to spill over into other industrial areas. A shortage of aluminium is now affected the Japanese auto industry, with carmakers turning to Russia’s Rusal to obtain supplies as their usual Middle East manufacturing supply chains are inoperable.
Russia’s exports of agricultural products to Turkiye rose 9% during 2025 to reach US$3.8 billion in value and 12 million tonnes in weight. Primary exports in this category include wheat, sunflower oil, bran, legumes, oilseed cake, rice, flaxseed, molasses and barley, all of which showed significant increases
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Russia became the top supplier to China of vegetable cooking oils in the last agricultural year, with exports up 16% over the previous 12 months. The global market has increased demand for Russian rapeseed oil, partially due to a worsening situation with imported canola supplies to China due to an ongoing China-Canada trade conflict, and the sluggish pace of Australian raw material arriving at Chinese oil mills as an alternative procurement channel
A study of the Chinese National People’s Congress 2026-30 budget, just released, reveals that China intends to fast-track the Power of Siberia 2 pipeline from Russia and expedite increasing LNG supplies as soon as possible. The move comes as a stabilizing factor in China’s energy security as they look for alternatives to supplies from the Middle East. This will likely mean that Russia will replace Qatar as China’s primary LNG source.
India has begun immediate imports of Russian crude as it gains secondary tariff exemptions from Washington. India’s growth is a major global economic driver and without it, Western economies will feel even more fiscal pressure. India and the United States signed a trade agreement last month as Washington looks to increase its India supply chains as it diminishes its Chinese ties and cannot afford to have both economies stalling at the same time.
Georgia, like several other Caucasus and Eurasian countries, has evaluated its energy security in the wake of the Iranian conflict and is to increase supplies of fuel from Russia. Their situation is vastly different from Europe which is cut off from Middle Eastern supplies, is politically estranged from Russia and is coming under increasing Ukrainian supply chain chokeholds as Kiev wields economic leverage over the EU and is capable of causing immense political support damage.
The media coverage of the spill-over consequences of the military conflict in the Middle East has concentrated on energy shortages, and especially in the immediate region and Europe. However, there are numerous other commodities impacted as well. In this article we describe the benefits and problems this has brought to Russia – and other Eurasian and global actors. We discuss these in detail.
South Korea’s Sinokor Shipping has added a new China route using Vladivostok in the Russian Far East. The company is the largest Korean shipper operating in Russia, with the new route taking in Busan, Vladivostok, Xiamen, Hong Kong, Shekou and Haiphong.
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