You are on page 1of 27

ROSSIYSKAYA FEDERATSIYA

Interesting Facts
About Russia.mp4

INTRODUCTION
Rossiyskaya Federatsiya (Russian Federation), or Rossia (Russia) was once the preeminent republic of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.; commonly known as the Soviet Union) and became an independent country after
the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.
Russia is by far the world’s largest country extending across the whole of northern Asia and the eastern third of
Europe. It contains Europe’s longest river, the Volga, and its largest lake, Ladoga. Russia also is home to the world’s
deepest lake, Baikal, and the country recorded the world’s lowest temperature outside the North and South poles that
have several times famously saved the country from foreign invaders.

The Modern
Economy of Russia.mp4

ECONOMY
The Russian republic, by virtue of its great size and abundant natural resources, played a leading role in the
economy of the Soviet Union. In the years before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, however, the economy of Russia
and of the entire country was in a state of decline, and official statistics masked industrial inefficiencies.
The monetary system was in disarray: the removal of price controls caused a huge escalation in inflation and prices; the
value of the ruble, the country’s currency, plummeted; and real incomes fell dramatically.
Nevertheless, after experiencing great difficulties, in 1999 Russian economy began to recover and the country
entered the period of steady rise in economy. The GDP growth caused the increasing confidence among entrepreneurs
and consumers. Foreign investments inflow increased while the capital outflow practically stopped. By the end of 2006 the
GDP growth amounted to 6.8% as opposed to 6.4% in the previous year. Russia's GDP approached those of Great
Britain, Italy and France. Growing export volume, the increase in labor productivity and effective use capital use smoothed
the negative effects of previous years. Russia’s effective use of its natural resources have played a big role in bringing the
country to where it is now. Natural resources potential of Russia is over 20% of the world’s reserves. This fact places
Russia on a special place among industrialized countries. Natural resources used by the economy of Russia account for
95.7% of national wealth. There are large deposits of fuel and energy resources: oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium ore. 

Income Level Level of


High Income In Transition
(by per capita GNI) Development
Economic Trivia Russia has been the world’s leading producer since 2011.

Top 3 Trade Partners (2019): China, Netherlands, Germany


Trade
Top 3 Export Partners (2019): China, Germany, Belarus

Complete Range of Mining and Extractive Industries Producing Coal, Oil,


Top Industries
Gas, Chemicals

TRADE
Inside Russian
Economy Documentary.mp4

International trade — especially the size and evolution of imports and exports — is an important indicator of a
country’s economic performance, showing its status on the international stage
The external trade of Russia, the world's fourteenth largest exporter, was interrelated with the country's foreign
policy over the past decade. In recent years, the geographical orientation of Russian foreign trade shifted
from Europe to Asia Pacific, which was reflected in merchandise trade volumes of Russia with both regions. However,
European states continued to rely on Russian mineral resources, as the country accounted for over 40 percent of  natural
gas and 27 percent of petroleum oil imported into EU-28.
Russia ranked as the second largest crude oil exporting region after the Middle East. With mineral products making
up nearly 65 percent of its total exports, the national economy became heavily dependent on  energy commodities. Thus,
other manufacturing sectors received lower investment and development opportunities, which made them less attractive
to be sold abroad. Besides chemicals and natural resources, Russia was the leading exporter of wheat.
China was Russia's major trade partner, accounting for nearly 16 percent of the country's total merchandise trade
volume. The Netherlands and Germany were Russia's leading export destinations in Europe, while the United States was
the country's third largest import origin. Russia maintained strong relations with the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS), particularly with Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan within the framework of the Eurasian
Economic Union (EAEU), which established a single market and the Eurasian Customs Union. Furthermore, Russia
strengthened trade cooperation with countries in Africa while hosting the Russia-Africa Summit in October 2019.
As a consequence of Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to the annexation of Crimea and the
territorial integrity of Ukraine, the country's foreign trade volume saw a considerable decline between 2014 and 2015.
Economic restrictions and the subsequent financial instability forced nearly two thousand German companies to leave the
Russian market since 2013. The Russian food embargo from European countries and the United States was followed by
an extensive import substitution program supporting domestic agricultural producers; however, it also contributed to an
increase in food prices.
Despite having the third highest trade surplus worldwide, Russia's foreign trade had limited growth prospects due
to low export diversification, global trade volume slowdown, and restrictions imposed by international sanctions. By 2024,
Russian external trade volume was forecast to increase to 860 billion U.S. dollars, while the oil export volume was
projected to gradually decline.

Merchandise export and import value and trade balance in Russia from 2012 to 2019
(in billion U.S. dollars)

In 2019, Russia exported goods worth nearly 423 billion U.S. dollars and imported goods worth approximately 244
billion U.S. dollars. The export and import values of the country sharply decreased between 2014 and 2015, while the
trade balance was the lowest at over 103 billion U.S. dollars in 2016.
Ask an Expert,
Understanding Russia's Import-Export Market.mp4

SUMMARIES FROM 2015-2018


FOR 2015

Overall Exports and Imports

 The total value of exports  (FoB) was 343,908 million.


 The total value of imports (CIF) was 182,782 million.
 At the HS6 digit level, 4,330 products were exported to 193 countries and 4,433 products were imported from
218 countries.

Top 5 Export and Import Partners


Export

1. RUSSIA exports to Unspecified worth US$ 53,098 million, with a partner share of 15.44 percent.
2. RUSSIA exports to Netherlands worth US$ 40,198 million, with a partner share of 11.69 percent.
3. RUSSIA exports to China worth US$ 28,335 million, with a partner share of 8.24 percent.
4. RUSSIA exports to Italy worth US$ 16,204 million, with a partner share of 4.71 percent.
5. RUSSIA exports to Germany worth US$ 15,906 million, with a partner share of 4.63 percent.

Import

1. RUSSIA imports from China worth US$ 35,199 million, with a partner share of 19.26 percent.
2. RUSSIA imports from Germany worth US$ 18,992 million, with a partner share of 10.39 percent.
3. RUSSIA imports from United States worth US$ 11,490 million, with a partner share of 6.29 percent.
4. RUSSIA imports from Belarus worth US$ 7,989 million, with a partner share of 4.37 percent.
5. RUSSIA imports from Italy worth US$ 7,928 million, with a partner share of 4.34 percent.
Top 5 Products (Exports and Imports) at HS 6 digit level  
Export

1. RUSSIA exported Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous, worth US$ 89,576,493.23 million.
2. RUSSIA exported Petroleum oils, etc., (excl. crude); preparation , worth US$ 67,403,070.63 million.
3. RUSSIA exported Natural gas in gaseous state , worth US$ 41,844,333.34 million.
4. RUSSIA exported Bituminous coal, not agglomerated , worth US$ 8,154,762.00 million.
5. RUSSIA exported Natural gas, liquefied, worth US$ 4,546,148.09 million.

Import

1. RUSSIA imported Other medicaments of mixed or unmixed products, , worth US$ 4,932,809.40 million.
2. RUSSIA imported Transmission apparatus, for radioteleph incorpo , worth US$ 3,303,248.32 million.
3. RUSSIA imported Aircraft nes of an unladen weight exceeding 15, , worth US$ 3,004,683.17 million.
4. RUSSIA imported Automobiles with reciprocating piston engine di , worth US$ 2,782,833.24 million.
5. RUSSIA imported Digital auto data process mach cntg in the same , worth US$ 1,700,586.97 million.

Exports and Imports of Product Groups

 RUSSIA Raw materials exports were worth US$ 118,021 million, product share of 34.32%.
 RUSSIA Raw materials imports were worth US$ 17,791 million, product share of 9.73%.
 RUSSIA Intermediate goods exports were worth US$ 66,221 million, product share of 19.26%.
 RUSSIA Intermediate goods imports were worth US$ 31,130 million, product share of 17.03%.
 RUSSIA Consumer goods exports were worth US$ 131,113 million, product share of 38.12%.
 RUSSIA Consumer goods imports were worth US$ 62,949 million, product share of 34.44%.
 RUSSIA Capital goods exports were worth US$ 17,757 million, product share of 5.16%.
 RUSSIA Capital goods imports were worth US$ 70,073 million, product share of 38.34%.
TARIFFS

  The maximum rate  of tariff in percentage on any product was 100 percent.


  The simple average  tariff across all products was 5.33 percent.
  The trade weighted average  tariff was 3.08 .
  The total duty free imports  in thousands of US dollars were 92,994,345.48 and duty free tariff line items
share  was 42.22 percent.

DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS

 RUSSIA GDP in current US dollar  was 1,363,594 million.


 GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)  was 11,770.00 .
 RUSSIA Trade balance: as % of GDP was 8.06.
 Trade balance in current US$ was 109,960.00 million.
 Trade as percentage of GDP  was 49.35 .
 Trade in services as percentage of GDP  was 10.30 .

TRADE INDICATORS

 Hirschman Herfindahl market concentration index  was 0.03.


 Index of export market penetration  was 10.25.
 World Growth  in percentage was -6.61 and RUSSIA Country Growth  was -17.59 .

TRADE SUMMARY FOR RUSSIAN FEDERATION 2016

Overall Exports and Imports for Russian Federation 2016

Exports and imports of Russian Federation in 2016 are below, along with number of countries and products
 The total value of exports  (FoB) was 301,780 million.
  The total value of imports (CIF) was 207,441 million.
 At the HS6 digit level, 4,375 products were exported to 199 countries and 4,448 products were imported from 220 countries.

Russian Federation top 5 Export and Import partners 2016

Top five countries to which Russian Federation exported in 2016 are below, along with the percent of total exports that went to that
country:

1. Russian Federation exports to Netherlands worth US$ 31,816 million, with a partner share of 10.54 percent.
2. Russian Federation exports to China worth US$ 29,953 million, with a partner share of 9.93 percent.
3. Russian Federation exports to Germany worth US$ 21,452 million, with a partner share of 7.11 percent.
4. Russian Federation exports to Belarus worth US$ 14,762 million, with a partner share of 4.89 percent.
5. Russian Federation exports to Turkey worth US$ 13,763 million, with a partner share of 4.56 percent.

Top five countries from which Russian Federation imported goods in 2016 are below, along with percent of total imports that came
from the country :

1. Russian Federation imports from China worth US$ 46,332 million, with a partner share of 22.34 percent.
2. Russian Federation imports from Germany  worth US$ 22,685 million, with a partner share of 10.94 percent.
3. Russian Federation imports from United States worth US$ 12,135 million, with a partner share of 5.85 percent.
4. Russian Federation imports from Belarus worth US$ 10,215 million, with a partner share of 4.92 percent.
5. Russian Federation imports from France worth US$ 9,258 million, with a partner share of 4.46 percent.

Russian Federation Top 5 Productsexports imports at HS 6 digit level 2016

The top five exported HS 6 digit level products to world by Russian Federation along with trade value are:

1. Russian Federation exported Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminou , worth US$ 73,712,304.51 million.
2. Russian Federation exported Petroleum oils, etc, (excl. crude); preparation , worth US$ 56,949,369.91 million.
3. Russian Federation exported Bituminous coal, not agglomerated , worth US$ 8,053,275.09 million.
4. Russian Federation exported Diamonds non-industrial unworked or simply sawn , worth US$ 4,266,596.83 million.
5. Russian Federation exported Spelt, common wheat and meslin , worth US$ 4,182,447.08 million.
The top five imported HS 6 digit level products from world by Russian Federation along with trade value are

1. Russian Federation imported Machinery for liquefying air or other gases , worth US$ 9,569,752.70 million.
2. Russian Federation imported Other medicaments of mixed or unmixed products, , worth US$ 5,161,552.31 million.
3. Russian Federation imported Aircraft nes of an unladen weight exceeding 15, , worth US$ 4,923,858.14 million.
4. Russian Federation imported Transmission apparatus, for radioteleph incorpo , worth US$ 4,074,690.83 million.
5. Russian Federation imported Automobiles with reciprocating piston engine di , worth US$ 2,237,496.81 million.

Exports and Imports of Product Groups 2016

Exports and imports of products by stages of processing in 2016 are below along with their corresponding Product Share  as
percent of total export or import

 Russian Federation Raw materials exports  were worth US$ 102,865 million, product share of 34.09%.
 Russian Federation Raw materials imports  were worth US$ 15,708 million, product share of 7.57%.
 Russian Federation Intermediate goods exports  were worth US$ 60,690 million, product share of 20.11%.
 Russian Federation Intermediate goods imports  were worth US$ 30,049 million, product share of 14.49%.
 Russian Federation Consumer goods exports  were worth US$ 78,194 million, product share of 25.91%.
 Russian Federation Consumer goods imports  were worth US$ 64,841 million, product share of 31.26%.
 Russian Federation Capital goods exports  were worth US$ 18,998 million, product share of 6.30%.
 Russian Federation Capital goods imports  were worth US$ 96,209 million, product share of 46.38%.

TARIFFS 2016

Tariffs imposed by Russian Federation in 2016 are below

  The maximum rate  of tariff in percentage on any product was 100 percent.


  The simple average  tariff across all products was 5.34 percent.
  The trade weighted average  tariff was 3.62 .
  The total duty free imports  in thousands of US dollars were 61,393,980.06 and duty free tariff line items share  was 30.72 percent.

DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS 2016

Key Development Indicators of Russian Federation in 2016 are below


 Russian Federation GDP in current US dollar  was 1,282,724 million.
 GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)  was 9,750.00 .
 Russian Federation Trade balance: as % of GDP was 5.17.
 Trade balance in current US$ was 66,342.00 million.
 Trade as percentage of GDP  was 46.30 .
 Trade in services as percentage of GDP  was 9.76 .

TRADE INDICATORS 2016

Trade Indicators for Russian Federation in 2016 are below

 Hirschman Herfindahl market concentration index  was 0.04.


 Index of export market penetration  was 10.58.
 World Growth  in percentage was -1.24 and Russian Federation Country Growth  was -7.05 .

TRADE SUMMARY FOR RUSSIAN FEDERATION 2017

Overall Exports and Imports for Russian Federation 2017

Exports and imports of Russian Federation in 2017 are below, along with number of countries and products

 The total value of exports  (FoB) was 379,207 million.


  The total value of imports (CIF) was 259,967 million.
 At the HS6 digit level, 4,365 products were exported to 194 countries and 4,428 products were imported from 218 countries.

Russian Federation top 5 Export and Import partners 2017

Top five countries to which Russian Federation exported in 2017 are below, along with the percent of total exports that went to that
country:

1. Russian Federation exports to China worth US$ 41,671 million, with a partner share of 10.99 percent.
2. Russian Federation exports to Netherlands worth US$ 38,234 million, with a partner share of 10.08 percent.
3. Russian Federation exports to Germany worth US$ 26,203 million, with a partner share of 6.91 percent.
4. Russian Federation exports to Belarus worth US$ 20,336 million, with a partner share of 5.36 percent.
5. Russian Federation exports to Turkey worth US$ 19,045 million, with a partner share of 5.02 percent.

Top five countries from which Russian Federation imported goods in 2017 are below, along with percent of total imports that came
from the country :

1. Russian Federation imports from China worth US$ 56,950 million, with a partner share of 21.91 percent.
2. Russian Federation imports from Germany  worth US$ 28,441 million, with a partner share of 10.94 percent.
3. Russian Federation imports from United States worth US$ 14,283 million, with a partner share of 5.49 percent.
4. Russian Federation imports from Belarus worth US$ 13,316 million, with a partner share of 5.12 percent.
5. Russian Federation imports from Italy worth US$ 11,676 million, with a partner share of 4.49 percent.

Russian Federation Top 5 Productsexports imports at HS 6 digit level 2017

The top five exported HS 6 digit level products to world by Russian Federation along with trade value are:

1. Russian Federation exported Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminou , worth US$ 93,377,261.71 million.
2. Russian Federation exported Petroleum oils, etc, (excl. crude); preparation , worth US$ 71,157,274.84 million.
3. Russian Federation exported Bituminous coal, not agglomerated , worth US$ 11,900,993.74 million.
4. Russian Federation exported Spelt, common wheat and meslin , worth US$ 5,743,524.89 million.
5. Russian Federation exported Potassium chloride , worth US$ 4,221,457.39 million.

The top five imported HS 6 digit level products from world by Russian Federation along with trade value are

1. Russian Federation imported Machinery for liquefying air or other gases , worth US$ 9,107,723.77 million.
2. Russian Federation imported Transmission apparatus, for radioteleph incorpo , worth US$ 7,577,432.47 million.
3. Russian Federation imported Other medicaments of mixed or unmixed products, , worth US$ 6,288,668.11 million.
4. Russian Federation imported Aircraft nes of an unladen weight exceeding 15, , worth US$ 6,233,799.69 million.
5. Russian Federation imported Machinery, plant or laboratory equip for treat , worth US$ 3,070,207.51 million.
Exports and Imports of Product Groups 2017

Exports and imports of products by stages of processing in 2017 are below along with their corresponding Product Share  as
percent of total export or import

 Russian Federation Raw materials exports  were worth US$ 131,395 million, product share of 34.65%.
 Russian Federation Raw materials imports  were worth US$ 18,939 million, product share of 7.29%.
 Russian Federation Intermediate goods exports  were worth US$ 77,064 million, product share of 20.32%.
 Russian Federation Intermediate goods imports  were worth US$ 37,015 million, product share of 14.24%.
 Russian Federation Consumer goods exports  were worth US$ 95,045 million, product share of 25.06%.
 Russian Federation Consumer goods imports  were worth US$ 78,340 million, product share of 30.13%.
 Russian Federation Capital goods exports  were worth US$ 22,330 million, product share of 5.89%.
 Russian Federation Capital goods imports  were worth US$ 124,110 million, product share of 47.74%.

TARIFFS 2017

Tariffs imposed by Russian Federation in 2017 are below

  The maximum rate  of tariff in percentage on any product was 100 percent.


  The simple average  tariff across all products was 5.06 percent.
  The trade weighted average  tariff was 3.61 .
  The total duty free imports  in thousands of US dollars were 76,831,249.02 and duty free tariff line items share  was 32.17 percent.

DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS 2017

Key Development Indicators of Russian Federation in 2017 are below

 Russian Federation GDP in current US dollar  was 1,578,624 million.


 GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)  was 9,230.00 .
 Russian Federation Trade balance: as % of GDP was 5.34.
 Trade balance in current US$ was 84,351.00 million.
 Trade as percentage of GDP  was 46.76 .
 Trade in services as percentage of GDP  was 9.28 .

TRADE INDICATORS 2017

Trade Indicators for Russian Federation in 2017 are below


 Hirschman Herfindahl market concentration index  was 0.04.
 Index of export market penetration  was 11.29.
 World Growth  in percentage was 5.68 and Russian Federation Country Growth  was 12.85 .

TRADE SUMMARY FOR RUSSIAN FEDERATION 2018

Overall Exports and Imports for Russian Federation 2018

Exports and imports of Russian Federation in 2018 are below, along with number of countries and products

 The total value of exports  (FoB) was 451,495 million.


  The total value of imports (CIF) was 240,226 million.
 At the HS6 digit level, 4,364 products were exported to 194 countries and 4,439 products were imported from 218 countries.

Russian Federation top 5 Export and Import partners 2018

Top five countries to which Russian Federation exported in 2018 are below, along with the percent of total exports that went to that
country:

1. Russian Federation exports to China worth US$ 56,020 million, with a partner share of 12.41 percent.
2. Russian Federation exports to Netherlands worth US$ 43,450 million, with a partner share of 9.62 percent.
3. Russian Federation exports to Germany worth US$ 34,184 million, with a partner share of 7.57 percent.
4. Russian Federation exports to Belarus worth US$ 22,780 million, with a partner share of 5.05 percent.
5. Russian Federation exports to Turkey worth US$ 21,312 million, with a partner share of 4.72 percent.

Top five countries from which Russian Federation imported goods in 2018 are below, along with percent of total imports that came
from the country :

1. Russian Federation imports from China worth US$ 52,218 million, with a partner share of 21.74 percent.
2. Russian Federation imports from Germany  worth US$ 25,511 million, with a partner share of 10.62 percent.
3. Russian Federation imports from Belarus worth US$ 12,906 million, with a partner share of 5.37 percent.
4. Russian Federation imports from United States worth US$ 12,691 million, with a partner share of 5.28 percent.
5. Russian Federation imports from Italy worth US$ 10,580 million, with a partner share of 4.40 percent.
Russian Federation Top 5 Productsexports imports at HS 6 digit level 2018

The top five exported HS 6 digit level products to world by Russian Federation along with trade value are:

1. Russian Federation exported Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminou , worth US$ 129,201,079.70 million.
2. Russian Federation exported Petroleum oils, etc, (excl. crude); preparation , worth US$ 78,209,874.86 million.
3. Russian Federation exported Bituminous coal, not agglomerated , worth US$ 14,610,454.91 million.
4. Russian Federation exported Spelt, common wheat and meslin , worth US$ 8,344,689.76 million.
5. Russian Federation exported Natural gas, liquefied , worth US$ 5,285,983.17 million.

The top five imported HS 6 digit level products from world by Russian Federation along with trade value are

1. Russian Federation imported Transmission apparatus, for radioteleph incorpo , worth US$ 8,627,223.04 million.
2. Russian Federation imported Other medicaments of mixed or unmixed products, , worth US$ 5,953,136.98 million.
3. Russian Federation imported Aircraft nes of an unladen weight exceeding 15, , worth US$ 5,941,517.05 million.
4. Russian Federation imported Parts and accessories of automatic data process , worth US$ 3,148,309.97 million.
5. Russian Federation imported Automobiles with reciprocating piston engine di , worth US$ 2,709,405.42 million.

Exports and Imports of Product Groups 2018

Exports and imports of products by stages of processing in 2018 are below along with their corresponding Product Share  as
percent of total export or import

 Russian Federation Raw materials exports  were worth US$ 176,128 million, product share of 39.01%.
 Russian Federation Raw materials imports  were worth US$ 19,235 million, product share of 8.01%.
 Russian Federation Intermediate goods exports  were worth US$ 87,351 million, product share of 19.35%.
 Russian Federation Intermediate goods imports  were worth US$ 40,541 million, product share of 16.88%.
 Russian Federation Consumer goods exports  were worth US$ 104,686 million, product share of 23.19%.
 Russian Federation Consumer goods imports  were worth US$ 79,380 million, product share of 33.04%.
 Russian Federation Capital goods exports  were worth US$ 19,603 million, product share of 4.34%.
 Russian Federation Capital goods imports  were worth US$ 98,352 million, product share of 40.94%.
TARIFFS 2018

Tariffs imposed by Russian Federation in 2018 are below

  The maximum rate  of tariff in percentage on any product was 100 percent.


  The simple average  tariff across all products was 4.92 percent.
  The trade weighted average  tariff was 3.51 .
  The total duty free imports  in thousands of US dollars were 77,446,616.46 and duty free tariff line items share  was 32.23 percent.

DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS 2018

Key Development Indicators of Russian Federation in 2018 are below

 Russian Federation GDP in current US dollar  was 1,657,555 million.


 GNI per capita, Atlas method (current US$)  was 10,230.00 .
 Russian Federation Trade balance: as % of GDP was 9.97.
 Trade balance in current US$ was 165,288.00 million.
 Trade as percentage of GDP  was 51.51 .
 Trade in services as percentage of GDP  was 9.60 .

TRADE INDICATORS 2018

Trade Indicators for Russian Federation in 2018 are below

 Hirschman Herfindahl market concentration index  was 0.04.


 Index of export market penetration  was 11.51.
 World Growth  in percentage was 3.50 and Russian Federation Country Growth  was 10.54 .
CoViD-19 IMPACT

The Impact of
Covid-19 in Russia and Eastern Europe.mp4
From the Russia Economic Report #43 last July 5 in the current year, data provided that Activity in the Euro Area –
Russia's largest trading partner – also contracted. The Euro Area GDP contracted at an annualized rate of 13.6 percent in
Q1 2020 — the steepest fall in the bloc's existence — with several economies registering record declines. Retail sales
and industrial production in the Euro Area both experienced their largest contraction on record in March. The weak
momentum in sales and production will contribute to what is expected to be an unprecedented collapse in output during
the second quarter, possibly falling by nearly 50 percent (q/q, saar), according to the European Central Bank.
China, Russia's second-largest trading partner, has embarked on a fragile recovery after a major economic
contraction. Its GDP fell by 6.8 percent in Q1 2020, the first negative growth reading since quarterly records began in
1992. However, incoming data suggest that the output decline softened somewhat in March, as falls in industrial
production, nominal retail sales, and imports and exports bottomed out. Available daily activity data in April pointed to a
continued gradual normalization of economic activity. The recovery remains fragile, however, as air traffic and tourism, for
example, remain well below levels observed prior to COVID-19.
According to the estimates of the Ministry of Economic Development, GDP contracted by 12. 1 percent, y/y, in April
and 10.9 percent, y/y, in May. High-frequency statistics in April and May pointed to negative growth in most sectors.
Manufacturing contracted by 10 percent, y/y, in April and 7.2 percent, y/y, in May with severe negative impacts in metals
production and transport vehicles. Mineral-resource extraction decreased by 3.2 percent, y/y, before OPEC+ production
cuts that started in May and by 13.5 percent, y/y, in May. As a result, industrial production shrank. The transportation
sector was hit by falling trade volumes since the beginning of the year, contracting by 6 percent, y/y, in April 2020 and 9.5
percent, y/y, in May. PMI indexes reached record lows in April, compared to other countries and historically, recovering
somewhat in May.
In April - May, industrial production growth turned In April, Russia's PMI indexes reached record
negative in Russia lows

The impact of COVID-19 on economic activities in Russia was limited in Q1 2020 and mostly channeled through a
sharp reduction in trade and commodity prices. With the introduction of lockdown measures at the end of March, Russia
slipped into recession hit by domestic supply and demand shocks against a backdrop of already weak external demand.
In April, contraction in the output of five basic sectors2 totaled 9.9 percent, y/y, which is on par with the contraction of this
indicator in 2009, during the global financial crisis. Containment measures, including strict mobility restrictions, were
introduced only in the last week of March. As a result, the economy posted relatively robust GDP growth of 1.6 percent in
the first quarter of 2020. A low base effect from the first quarter of 2019 also supported this robust reading.
The limited impact of COVID-19 on economic activity in January-March 2020 was mostly channeled
through a sharp reduction in trade and commodity prices. This largely reflected the negative impact from the
downturn in China on global demand and growing uncertainty about the prospects of global economic growth as the crisis
escalated in Europe and in the US. The disruptions of global value chains had a limited impact on Russia, given its
relatively low level of exposure.

Export volumes for many commodities exported by Russia dropped in


the first quarter of 2020 compared to the first quarter of 2019

According to Russia Briefing on The Social and Economic Impact of CoViD-19 On Russia and Recovery Potential:
Russia’s Federal government has proposed the following measures to support the economy:
 Deferred payments of budget loans, as well as compensation for losses of regional budgets;
 Deferral of tax collection for enterprises of the most affected sectors of the economy.
 A moratorium on business audits, including tax audits, with the exception of issues that pose risks to the life
and health of citizens;
 Expansion of the soft loan program;
 Increase in the amount of subsidies for small and medium enterprises;
 Launching a service to help employees and employers on-line inspection;
 Facilitation of lending conditions for industries affected by coronavirus;
 Lower property taxes for lessors in exchange for lower rental rates or deferred payments for tenants of
certain business categories;
 Green Corridor for the import of certain categories of goods at customs.
 On the regional level, each head of region of the Federation was authorized to form preventative norms for
the spread of coronavirus in consistence with the specific situation in each region.
The regions are facing the threat of ‘highest budget deficits’ in two decades due to a loss of revenue owing
to the economic slowdown and the crash in energy prices. It has been argued that support from the central
government will not be enough to plug the gap. Efforts at the  regional level to contain the economic damage and
open businesses have been made difficult due to rise in number of COVID-19 cases.
Given the role energy exports play in Russian economy, the low demand and price crash is a worry for the
Russian government. Apart from dealing with the consequences of a national-level slowdown, Russia will have to
formulate its recovery plans amid a worldwide recession and a crash in commodity prices due to reduced
demand, leading to a loss of revenues from oil and gas exports. Given the role energy exports play in Russian
economy, the low demand and price crash is a worry for the Russian government.
According to bank economists, in a positive scenario, the global economy will quickly recover, and Russia’s GDP
will grow by 1.5% in 2020, while the Ruble will rebound to 75 against the US dollar by the year end. However, this basic
scenario assumes that Russia’s GDP will fall by 0.8%, and the dollar will be 79 rubles. In the basic scenario, the bank
assumes that the quarantine will last 2 months, after which the slow recovery of the world economy will begin (based on
Renaissance Capital’s economic analysis).
The bank’s negative scenario suggests a 2.5% decline in the Russian economy and an increase in the exchange
rate to 82 rubles per dollar. The underlying forecasts of other analysts are generally similar. Standard & Poor’s predicts
economic decline of 0.8% in 2020. The economic downturn will lead to an increase in bad loans from 8% at the end of
2019 to 15% at the end of 2020. The accumulated capital, state assistance and weakening regulatory requirements will
allow banks and other organizations to withstand stress (based on S&P analysis).
According to Alexei Kudrin, Chairman of the Accounts Chamber, even in a fairly moderate version, the fall in GDP
this year could be from three to five percent. “But the situation may be similar, as it was in 2009, when GDP fell by almost
8%,” he said at a meeting with President Putin on April 1.
If the global economic recovery begins in the third quarter of 2020 and is accompanied by an increase in the price
of oil and other Russian export goods, then most likely the economic growth this year will be slightly higher than zero. This
appears more likely as a truce has now been agreed between Russia and Saudi Arabia to fix the price of oil.
However should the negative effect of the spread of coronavirus turns out to be deeper, and foreign government
support programs are not effective enough, then the National Wealth Fund will require significant additional funding, but
even with this a decline will be at least 3%.

CONCLUSION

Russian analysts have long expressed concern about the slow pace of social and economic development in
the country, in sharp contrast to the active decision-making when it comes to foreign policy decisions. As
personal incomes of people decline and structural problems being faced by the economy remain unaddressed, it
has impeded the development of wide-ranging bilateral relationships with Russia’s partners, who are eager to
strike deals with economically stronger countries that can help in realization of domestic developmental goals. In
other words, as Sergei Karaganov has noted, ‘Russia has a small market to attract allies and few  opportunities to
“buy” them.’
As emerging powers continue to gain in strength, Russia will have to deal with the presence of
economically strong powers in areas where it is seeking to expand its influence – most prominently, Eurasia. This
disparity between ‘Russia’s ambitions and capabilities’ remains a major cause of concern, primarily in the
economic domain. At the centre of its Greater Eurasian vision is an economic body — the Eurasian Economic
Union — one to which Russia contributes 90 percent of the GDP. A poor economic performance from the leading
economy in the Union will have a direct impact on its overall fortunes. Already, China has become an important
player in Eurasia and if it is able to further expand its presence in the region as West grapples with a growing
coronavirus crisis within its boundaries, Russia will have to evaluate the overall impact on its position on the
ground.
In addition, a further deepening of dependence on China economically as Moscow deals with the slowdown
will pose uncomfortable questions about the position Russia will take in case of a rise in US-China rivalry. This is
because as has been noted, any risk of ‘geopolitical mishaps’ exposing ‘economic weakness’ runs high.
A need to diversify relations with other regional powers to cope with the weaker economic position has been
suggested as a way to keep the Russia-China relationship on an even keel, besides having the obvious
advantage of strengthening the Russian position in Eurasia. With this objective, Moscow has in recent times
sought to galvanise its ties with other players including India, ASEAN, Japan and South Korea. The impact of the
recession on Russia at this particular moment in geopolitical history will impact its foreign policy trajectory in very
specific ways. In order to establish itself as a key player in Eurasia, Moscow will need to build its domestic
economic strength — a prospect that requires deep seated reforms that will affect the established elite power
structures existing within the political and economic system of Russia. Whether the pandemic will provide the
push to carry out the necessary structural economic reforms in Russia remains to be seen.
“Без трудa не вытащишь и рыбку из прудa.” Indeed, “without effort you won’t even pull a fish out of a pond” is a
very relatable saying as it is similar to others such as “no pain, no gain,” and “nothing comes easy”. This Russian idiom
reminds us that nothing can be done without sufficient effort. We may not know this but Russians have hard lives. Thus,
this saying promotes hard work to encourage everyone to realize that without it, nothing is possible.

References
Websites

EurostatStatistics Explained. (2020, March). Russia-EU – international trade in goods statistics. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Russia-EU_%E2%80%93_international_trade_in_goods_statistics

Export Genius. (2019). Russia Export Data. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from https://www.exportgenius.in/export-import-trade-
data/russia-export.php

Ilitsky, R. (n.d.). 13 Russian Idioms as a Blueprint for a Better Life. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from
https://www.fluentu.com/blog/russian/russian-idioms-2/

Michigan State UniversityInternational Business Center: Broad College of Business. (2020). Russia: Trade Statistics. Retrieved
September 18, 2020, from https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/russia/tradestats

Riasanovsky, N., & Hellie, R. (2020, September 26). Russia. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from
https://www.britannica.com/place/Russia
Russia Economic Report #43. (2020, June 30). Retrieved September 18, 2020, from
http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/879631593984780605/July5-ENG-RER43.pdf

Societe GeneraleImport-Export Solutions. (2020, September). Russia: Country Risk. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from
https://import-export.societegenerale.fr/en/country/russia/covid-country-risk

Trading Economics. (2020, July). Russia Imports. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://tradingeconomics.com/russia/imports

Workman, D. (2020, September 15). Russia's Top 10 Exports. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from
http://www.worldstopexports.com/russias-top-10-exports/

World Integrated Trade Solution. (2015). RUSSIA Trade Summary. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/RUS/Year/2015/SummaryText

World Integrated Trade Solution. (2016). RUSSIA Trade Summary. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/RUS/Year/2016/SummaryText

World Integrated Trade Solution. (2017). RUSSIA Trade Summary. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/RUS/Year/2017/SummaryText

World Integrated Trade Solution. (2018). RUSSIA Trade Summary. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from
https://wits.worldbank.org/CountryProfile/en/Country/RUS/Year/2018/SummaryText

Videos

CoolVision. (2018, March 30). Russia. Interesting Facts About Russia. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mORJmK1Ljgk&t=312s

Economics Explained. (2019, December 15). The Modern Economics of Russia. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?


v=6wBvG533K8A&list=PLh6oq2EbSNEd8wPXDYSIILG8NrqPg7U-f&index=14
Farm Credit Canada. (2014, February 4). Ask an Expert: Understanding Russia’s Import-Export Market. [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvy6d6NZ5u0&t=132s

IntroBooks Education. (2018, February 5). Inside Russian Economy Documentary  [Video]. YouTube.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVE80yXByM8&t=231s

London Business School. (2020, May 18). The Impact of Covid-19 in Russia and Eastern EuropeCOVID-19 SeriesLBS. [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZyfum2T1mA&t=76s

You might also like