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.
Russia and China have been discussing maritime security cooperation during ministerial-level talks in Beijing, with both sides critical of Western sanctions, and interference with the maritime law of the sea concerning right of passage. This raises the possibility of joint naval patrols being extended towards both their and friendly-country allies shipping on a global basis.
Russia’s automotive regulator has suspended the sale of numerous Russian trucks and SUV’s following spot-checks on safety compliance issues. Most of the defects related to braking systems, visible pollutant emissions, and the safety of external protrusions. Complaints also arose regarding seat belt anchor points, cabin safety features, emergency call devices, and external and internal noise. Imports can resume once the issues are rectified.
Vietnamese nationals may enter Russia visa-free from October 15 under a new decree. About 40,000 Vietnamese visited Russia in 2025, with most going to Moscow and St.Petersburg. That number can be expected to increase during 2026 and 2027.
In signs of increasing confidence in the Russian economy, private investors boosted investments in mutual investment funds on the Moscow Exchange by 320% year-on-year to ₽19.7 billion (US$231.5 million) in September 2026. Russia has long tried to access the estimated US$80 trillion stored in private bank accounts and appears to be having some success in motivating domestic private capital to seek better returns and invest into the Russian economy and business sector.
Intra-Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) trade is up 19% in H1 2026, although Russian President Putin has asked for trade barriers to be lowered to increase multilateral trade still further. The effective CIS members are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Ukraine began exiting the bloc in 2014 but has not been able to secure trade guarantees with the European Union either – leaving it in de facto trade limbo and with no eastern markets.
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Russian exports of fish – especially dried fish – are up 1,400% in 9M 2026, as the snack is used as an accompaniment to drinking beer and is proving popular with Brazilian football supporters watching local and international games in bars. Russian exporters are competing with Norway for this market.
The first Iran-Russia Trade Development summit has taken place in Bandar Anzali, and places a sharply defined economic proposition at the centre of Tehran’s northern trade strategy. The Caspian Sea acts as a gateway to Russia’s US$300 billion annual import market into substantially larger non-oil exports, transit flows and cross-border investment. We deep dive the bilateral Russia-Iran trade and investment developments.
Bangladesh’s first nuclear power plant will be connected to the power grid at the end of November by Rosatom. The Rooppur nuclear plant, Bangladesh’s most expensive infrastructure facility, has heavy backing from Russia. Moscow has financed US$11.9 billion in state loans for the project, which is estimated to cost up to US$12.8 billion. The plant will provide 12% of Bangladesh’s electricity needs.
US President Trump has agreed to purchase 3 million tonnes of diesel oil from Russia to alliveviate American shortages, in moves that have shocked Europe and Ukraine. We examine what the deal actually involves, the value, and the implications for US-Russia and US-Europe-Ukrane political relations moving ahead.
Sberbank has completed preparations for direct financial settlements with Myanmar, which will support major state contracts and commodity flows. Financial settlements for commodity exports and imports of agricultural products, fertilizers and mechanical engineering will also use the system. The development negates the use of SWIFT and the US dollar as payment tools, while a key element of the scheme is Sberbank’s Indian branch, which provides access to payments in Indian rupees and connects Myanmar companies with Russia, India and the Commonwealth of Independent States markets.
Kuibyshev Railways and the Deng Xiaoping Terminal in Russia’s Tatarstan region has sent its first container train of wheat by rail to Vietnam. The train, consisting of 76 containers with 2,000 tonnes of wheat, departed from the hub’s One Belt One Road terminal, and will finish its journey in Vladivostok. From there, the containers will be sent to Vietnam by sea.
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