MOSCOW, March 3. /TASS/. The share of direct supplies in Russian imports from unfriendly countries fell from 50-55% in the last pre-sanctions years to 16.6% in 2024, according to research titled Monitoring of Russia’s Economic Outlook, carried out by a team of experts from the Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy (obtained by TASS).
The share of imports from unfriendly countries in Russian imports is at a minimum, analysts stressed. "Substantial volumes of goods are delivered through indirect trade, meaning via neutral countries, with the producing country formally changed," according to the research.
Moreover, China has successfully replaced the European Union in supplies of vehicles, machinery, and a number of other categories of machines and equipment, analysts added. However, in the most high-tech groups of goods, including pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and aircraft equipment, the growth of imports from China was minor. "An increase in supplies of vehicles from China from 2021 to 2024 (+$21 bln) was two times higher than pre-sanctions volumes of imports of cars from the EU ($10.6 bln). Similarly, the growth of imports from China compensated for a decrease in European supplies of organic chemicals and footwear," the authors of the research said.
Meanwhile, pharma supplies from the EU to Russia remain at the pre-sanctions level of $9.3 bln in 2024 compared to $9.4 bln in 2021. "China is still a marginal supplier of this category of goods, with deliveries worth $107 mln in 2024," experts noted.