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.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk and Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi have discussed improving bilateral trade, which has increased 150% in 7M in 2026. There is the possibility for 2026 bilateral trade volumes to reach US$1 billion this year. We discuss the growth sectors.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE have signed an MoU to cooperate on the proposed Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project, also known as the Central Asia-South Asia (CASA). If completed, it would give the region access to Pakistani seaports. This also has implications for Russian exports. We discuss the latest developments and what this means for Russian trade potential.
Chinese investors are interested in Russia’s Udokan copper deposits in Zabaykalsky – one of the world’s largest in terms of reserves. The Udokan copper deposit holds an estimated 26.7 million tonnes of copper resources, equating to about 19.6 million tonnes of metal. Copper is a critical metal with numerous applications in the electronics industry.
Russia’s Rosatom is awaiting approval from the Namibian government for a uranium mining project with a decision expected shortly, according to Alexey Likhachev, Rosatom’s CEO. Namibia is a very active player in the global natural uranium market, and ranks in the top five uranium-producing countries globally.
Russia’s Rosatom are making a feasibility study for the proposed Bugula lithium production project in Mali commencing in 2027, which if satisfactory will see the start of construction of the mining and processing plant (MPP) scheduled for 2028, the company has stated. Rosatom also expects to attract investors from friendly countries. Mali is also looking to build numerous small NPP reactors, which could turn it into an electricity exporter.
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Mozambique is looking to engage with Russia’s energy companies Rosneft, Gazprom and Novatek in the development of its LNG industry. The Mozambique LNG project is a US$20 billion onshore liquefied natural gas development located on the Afungi peninsula in Cabo Delgado province, with Russian participants interested in the Rovuma basin area.
Between January and August 2026, rail freight between Russia and China hit 130.2 million tonnes, a rise of 5.4 percent compared with the same period last year. At the same time, container shipments increased 12.8 percent, reaching 2.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units. Exports from Russia to China came to 113.5 million tonnes, a 3.7 per […]
Copper is an indispensable metal that fueled revolutionary progress throughout human history. The copper age, the period of early metalworking in Eurasia, gave birth to the field of metallurgy. Due to its high electrical and thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and strength, copper is in high demand, especially in high-tech industries. Today, scientists call today’s stage […]
At 24% of the companies that were attacked, information resources and hardware stopped working, while 15.5% had their data destroyed. The count of large and medium Russian organizations dealing with information security incidents rose by 8.7% in 2025, reaching 46.4 thousand. Their share grew by 1.5 percentage points to 17.8%, which means one in every […]
The port of Murmansk is welcoming a large increase in cargo traffic, which is tied to the confluence of geopolitical events, including what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the EU’s desire to switch itself off from energy and trade with Russia. Pavel Oleynik, Executive Director of the Commercial Port […]
Russia’s container market volumes have grown by 6% in the 8M of this year, incorporating foreign trade and transit shipments via Russian seaports, foreign trade and transit movements across overland border crossings along the Russian Railways network, domestic Russian container shipments along the Russian Railways network, and coastal cabotage traffic.
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