VLADIVOSTOK, September 10. /TASS/. Russia's trade with Asia-Pacific countries rose by 24.5% in the first half of 2026 to $157.5 bln, State Secretary and Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Roman Chekushov told TASS in an interview on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.

"Our trade with the region is growing, with both exports and imports increasing. In the first six months of the year, it rose by 24.5% to $157.5 bln. Exports are growing faster, up 35%, while imports increased by 15.3%," he said.

According to the Deputy Minister, mutual trade with the region will continue to grow in the coming years, including as the practice of concluding free trade agreements expands. In particular, the agreement with Indonesia is expected to enter into force, negotiations with India are at an advanced stage, and several other countries are also being considered within the Eurasian Economic Commission, Chekushov said.

Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said earlier that Asia-Pacific countries accounted for 26% of Russia's non-resource, non-energy exports in 2025.

The Eastern Economic Forum was held on September 1-4 in Vladivostok on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University. The forum was organized by the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian government. TASS was the general information partner.