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- Fuel-free economy: non-primary non-energy exports of the Russian Federation amounted to almost $157 billion.
Fuel-free economy: non-primary non-energy exports of the Russian Federation amounted to almost $157 billion.
By the end of 2025, the supply of Russian products not related to raw materials and fuels reached $156.7 billion and exceeded the target by about 5%. This was announced by Roman Chekushov, Deputy head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. At the same time, the main contribution to growth was provided by the branches of mechanical engineering, metallurgical production and the forestry industry. What key factors made it possible to exceed the plan, what role state support measures played and what Russia's export policy will focus on in the coming years — in the Izvestia article.
Adapting to the conditions
The increase in the cost of non—primary non-energy exports (NEE) in 2025 was primarily due to an increase in the cost of key commodity groups - metals and chemical products, which account for more than half of export revenue, Anastasia Priklyova, associate professor of the Department of International Business at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia.
"This allowed us to maintain positive dynamics even with a decrease in physical supply volumes," she said. — Prices for non—ferrous metals increased significantly: platinum - by 155.3%, palladium — by 104.8%, copper — by 40.6%, aluminum — by 24.5%, nickel — by 16.8%. For fertilizers, the average price of the "basket" in May 2025 increased by 37% year-on-year and reached $437 per 1 ton.
At the same time, the effectiveness of government support measures was limited by the unfavorable situation in certain sectors. Thus, grain prices in 2025 were 15-20% lower than in 2024, and in the third quarter, exports decreased by 20%, and the number of buying countries decreased from 50 to 30. In these conditions, the priorities of export policy are the development of infrastructure and transport, as well as the formation of more stable and secure foreign trade routes and settlement mechanisms.
The growth of non-primary exports above the plan showed that the Russian economy was able to adapt to the changed external conditions, Anton Slinchenko, director of the Department of International Cooperation at Delovaya Rossiya, told Izvestia. After the recession of the past years, the situation has turned in a positive direction. An additional factor was the stronger ruble compared to the previous year, so the real volume of supplies probably increased more than it can be seen in monetary terms.
— The result was influenced by both external and internal reasons. The geopolitical situation has become more predictable, companies have learned to work under restrictions and have actively entered new markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East," he said. — Individual industries have shown particularly good results, primarily the agro—industrial sector and fertilizer production, where supply volumes have increased most noticeably.
The government helps exporters to remain competitive by compensating for part of the costs of logistics, certification and product promotion. The volume of support through existing programs is growing, which makes them increasingly important for the development of external supplies.
In the coming years, export policy will focus on cooperation with friendly countries and infrastructure development abroad. We are talking about logistics, transport corridors and convenient international settlement mechanisms. In the longer term, the focus will shift to technological development, digital solutions, automation, and the introduction of artificial intelligence into industry.
Trade diversification
As Alexander Firanchuk, a leading researcher at the IPEI Foreign Trade Research Laboratory of the Presidential Academy, reminded Izvestia, it is possible to assess the dynamics of non-primary non-energy exports in 2025 only based on aggregated data from the Federal Customs Service and statistics from the largest partner countries. These data show that the growth was mainly due to favorable price conditions, especially for metals, and exports remained at constant prices at about the level of 2024. At the same time, an increase in the supply of industrial goods offset a decrease in exports of agricultural products.
According to Tatiana Tirskikh, Managing Director for Sovereign and Regional Ratings at Expert RA agency, the over-fulfillment of the plan for non-primary non-energy exports in 2025 was the result of a rapid change in foreign trade directions. Russian companies have actively reoriented supplies to friendly markets in Asia and the East, which has made it possible to compensate for the lost volumes and maintain growth rates.
— The restructuring of logistics was essential. New supply chains have helped to reduce transportation costs and improve the reliability of delivery," the expert told Izvestia. — At the same time, the industry has shown the ability to adapt to new conditions, replacing unavailable technologies and increasing the production of products with higher added value. The expansion of settlements in national currencies provided additional stability.
Concessional financing, participation in national projects, compensation for transportation costs, risk insurance, and certification assistance allowed companies to rebuild export models faster. This has reduced the burden on enterprises and made it easier to enter new foreign markets.
In the coming years, the export strategy will focus on the countries of the Global South and East — in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, — Tatiana Tirskikh is sure. The priority will be the growth of the share of non-primary and high-tech products, the development of logistics infrastructure and transport corridors, as well as the digitalization of foreign trade, including the creation of platforms to support small and medium-sized businesses.
According to Ekaterina Nezhnikova, a professor at the RUDN University Faculty of Economics, in 2025, Russia's non-primary non-energy exports maintained positive dynamics, and growth affected most export industries. This was the result of a structural restructuring of foreign trade and the adaptation of companies to new working conditions in international markets.
"Due to sanctions and changing trade priorities, about 85% of all supplies today go to friendly countries," she recalled. — China remains a key partner, while turnover with the countries of the EAEU, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America is actively growing. Russia retains its traditional competitive advantages in the agro-industrial complex and mechanical engineering, whose products are particularly in demand in developing economies.
The support of exporters played a significant role. In particular, through the My Export digital platform and with the assistance of export support centers, companies received practical assistance in promoting products abroad. A significant contribution was also made by the Made in Russia national brand development program, which provides for large-scale marketing campaigns abroad and a certification system for manufacturers of non-primary non-energy products and service providers.
In the perspective of 2026, according to the expert, the growth of non-primary non-energy exports will continue. This will be facilitated by further reorientation to the markets of Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, as well as the consistent implementation of the national project "International Cooperation and Export", which forms a stable base for expanding external supplies.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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