Realnoe Vremya’s analytics: rating of Russian regions in foreign trade
The sanctions and the new political reality are transforming the country’s foreign economy and forcing it to look for new markets. Today the top 3 in foreign trade is represented by Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Moscow Oblast. As Realnoe Vremya’s analytic service found out, only Tatarstan is in the top from the Volga Federal District, it is fifth after oil-rich Khanty-Mansiysk.
Last year the foreign trade turnover of Russian regions grew, which was conditioned by a low base of the coronavirus-struck 2020. However, 2022 will change the balance of power. Sanctions, restrictions imposed on the supply of products to Russia and the legalisation of parallel import will influence the regions’ export and import volumes.
How the rating were made
The rating was based on the data of the Federal Customs Service (Russia’s FCS) for 2021. More than six months in Russia’s foreign trade statistics is not made public. As the press service explained to Realnoe Vremya, this is done “to avoid wrong assessments.” According to the website of the Russian FCS, the data on foreign trade was last updated on 22 March 2022. Only January figures are in public domain, which aren’t accurate to make the rating.
The Russian Federation’s foreign trade leaders
| russian region | export, bn USD | import, bn USD | foreign trade turnover, bn USD | |
| 1 | Moscow | 205,6 | 128,9 | 334,5 |
| 2 | Saint Petersburg | 29,9 | 26,6 | 56,5 |
| 3 | Moscow Oblast | 11,4 | 33,6 | 45 |
| 4 | Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District | 17,5 | 0,5 | 18 |
| 5 | Tatarstan | 12,1 | 5,5 | 17,6 |
| 6 | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 9,3 | 8 | 17,3 |
| 7 | Kemerovo Oblast — Kuzbass | 15,3 | 0,8 | 16,1 |
| 8 | Rostov Oblast | 11,6 | 2,9 | 14,5 |
| 9 | Krasnodar Krai | 7,6 | 5,6 | 13,2 |
| 10 | Leningrad Oblast | 8,4 | 4,4 | 12,8 |
| 11 | Sakhalin Oblast | 11,4 | 0,4 | 11,8 |
| 12 | Kaliningrad Oblast | 2,4 | 8,8 | 11,2 |
| 13 | Chelyabinsk Oblast | 7,3 | 3,5 | 10,8 |
| 14 | Primorsky Krai | 3,4 | 7,2 | 10,6 |
| 15 | Irkutsk Oblast | 8,4 | 2,1 | 10,5 |
Credit: Russia’s FCS
Exports rose almost in all the regions of the Russian Federation from the top 10, Sakhalin Oblast is the exception that expanded its exports just by 0,8%. Tatarstan whose exports fell almost by 43% in 2020 managed to regain the lost position and went up to the 5th place. It should be reminded that in 2020 the republic was 9th.
Russia’s leading regions in exports in 2021
| region | export, bn USD | Change, % (bn usd) | |
| 1 | Moscow | 205,6 | +56% (131,3 in 2020) |
| 2 | Saint Petersburg | 29,9 | +42% (21 in 2020) |
| 3 | Khanty-Mansi Autonomous District | 17,5 | +13% (15,45 in 2020) |
| 4 | Kemerovo Oblast | 15,3 | +35 % (11,3 in 2020) |
| 5 | Tatarstan | 12,1 | + 55% (7,8 in 2020) |
| 6 | Rostov Oblast | 11,6 | + 36% (8,5 in 2020) |
| 7 | Moscow Oblast | 11,4 | +75% (6,55 in 2020) |
| 8 | Sakhalin Oblast | 11,4 | +0,8% (11,3 in 2020) |
| 9 | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 9,3 | + 34% (6,9 in 2020) |
| 10 | Leningrad Oblast | 8,4 | +55% (5,4 in 2020) |
Credit: Russia’s FCS
Sverdlovsk Oblast, Tatarstan and Kaluga Oblast showed the biggest import growth in 2021 among the regions from the top 10 importers. The table shows a change in the regions’ import compared to 2020.
Russia’s leading regions in imports in 2021
| region | import, bn usd | change, % (bn usd) | |
| 1 | Moscow | 128,9 | +25% (102,76 in 2020) |
| 2 | Moscow Oblast | 33,6 | +33% (25,25 in 2020) |
| 3 | Saint Petersburg | 26,6 | +23,7% (21,5 in 2020) |
| 4 | Kaliningrad Oblast | 8,8 | +30% (6,76 in 2020) |
| 5 | Sverdlovsk Oblast | 8 | +62% (4,93 in 2020) |
| 6 | Kaluga Oblast | 7,5 | +47% (5,95 in 2020) |
| 7 | Primorsky Krai | 7,2 | +41% (5,08 in 2020) |
| 8 | Krasnodar Krai | 5,6 | +25% (4,48 in 2020) |
| 9 | Tatarstan | 5,5 | +52% (3,61 in 2020) |
| 10 | Leningrad Oblast | 4,4 | +23% (3,55 in 2020) |
Credit: Russia’s FCS
Outlook
Due to the start of the special military operation in Ukraine and the imposed sanctions, Russia lost a significant part of its trade partners.
According to the FCS, in Russia’s foreign trade in January 2022, the European Union accounted for 38,9% of Russian commodity turnover (34,6% in January 2021), APEC states did 33,6% (35,5%), CIS countries — 9,7% (12,2%), EAEU countries held 6,5% (9,2%).
The country has the task of refocusing and strengthening positions in new markets.
Reference
Russia’s key trade partners, according to the FCS as of January 2022:
- China, the turnover reached $13 billion (149,6% against January 2021),
- Germany — $5,1bn(165,2%),
- Netherlands — $5bn (231,8%),
- Turkey — $4,9bn (235,1%),
- Republic of Korea — $3,2bn (149,9%),
- Italy — $3bn (174,1%),
- USA — $2,3bn (157,4%),
- Poland — $2bn (171,3%),
- France — $1,8bn (158,1%),
- Japan — $1,6bn (168,0%).
Tatarstan