Latest updates, insights, and analysis.
Russia’s Tugansk Mining and Processing Plant in Tomsk is investing over US$500 million to upgrade its production of zirconium concentrate to both dominate the domestic Russian market and become an exporter to Asia. Zirconium concentrate is a valuable mineral resource with a wide range of applications across various new tech and energy industries.
Russia’s Rosatom and Resurs of Chelyabinsk have signed agreements to exports and supply groats to several Asian markets due to increasing consumer demand. delivery will be by rail to Vladivostok and by shipping to Asian ports although overland deliveries are also being worked out. Global consumption of groats is rapidly increasing.
The Philippines has become the third largest importer of Russian pork after Vietnam and China, and ahead of Hong Kong and Mongolia. The world’s largest pork consumers per capita are in Europe, with Russia’s supplies to Asia adequately showcasing the changing supply chains in global markets.
The Iran war is impacting supply chains throughout Central Asia including the Eurasian Economic Union and Commonwealth of Independent States, creating new logistics corridors as well as problems. We examine the geostrategic implications as the Western hemisphere becomes increasingly isolated from the East.
The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov has met with his Kenyan counterpart, Musalia Mudavadi, in Moscow. The two discussed deepening bilateral cooperation, trade and synchronizing matters relating to global affairs. Current bilateral trade is mainly agricultural based however both sides see development potential in several areas.
Russia’s Avtotor and China’s Great Wall Motors are establishing a Joint Venture in Kaliningrad to manufacture the popular Chinese Tank 300 SUV for the Russian market. The vehicle has attracted a 7.2% share of the Russian new premium car market. Production will commence in Q2 this year.
Russian and Chinese businesses are collaborating in the biotechnology sector, an industry set to quadruple in size over the next decade and recognised as a key economic pillar by the Russian government. The Russian Agriculture Minister and a business delegation are currently in China looking at potential joint venture projects.
Azerbaijan is targeting an increase of Russian tourist visitors during 2026 and is hoping to attract upwards of 750,000 arrivals over the year. Russian tourist are becoming sought after they abandon European vacations due to the unfriendliness and opt for eastern destinations. Russians also now spend more overseas than European tourists do as the Eurozone economies enter recession and cost of living expenses increase.
The crisis in the Middle East has disrupted maritime logistics between China and Europe, with operators reconsidering Russian and Eurasian overland routes. But these too face difficulties as Russian Railways is close to full capacity and political divisions have closed off EU-Russian borders. While there are options for Russia-Asia supply chains, the Eurasian routes remain problematic for European importers. We discuss what could be done to allieviate the situation.
Russia increased both the volume and revenue from its 2025 exports of agricultural produce to the Eurasian Economic Union countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan – by 23% as it looks to diversify its export mix. Sunflower oil, confectionery, flour, pork, sugar, animal feed, rapeseed, wheat, canned vegetables, vegetable and meat extracts, coffee and tea exports all increased.
Russia has recommenced barley exports to Tunisia after recording zero exports of the commodity in 2025. Significantly higher European prices are shifting the supply chain market to Russia’s grain exporters.
The Seychelles Tourism Academy has begun holding Russian language courses in the country to better accommodate the growing numbers of Russian tourists to the islands, who are now the third-largest source of tourism to the Seychelles. Russian tourists have overtaken the Europeans in the amount of money they now spend overseas.
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