Russia-Africa trade reached US$35 billion in 2025 with Russian exports including grain, dairy, and poultry exports, while African agricultural imports (coffee, fruit) to Russia also surged. Key areas include agricultural goods, military contracts, and nuclear energy, with Russia actively reducing trade barriers and diversifying into the processed foods and high-tech sectors. We cover Russia-Africa trade, investment, and market entry opportunities and provide your guide to navigating the commercial landscape and forging strategic partnerships for growth in Africa’s emerging markets.
Russia’s Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration, Maxim Oreshkin, has stated that Russia’s foreign trade has increased, not decreased since western sanctions were imposed on the country in 2022. We crunch the numbers to look at what has changed and where Russian exports markets have declined, increased, and in which commodities.
The latest Russia-Cuba Intergovernmental meeting has just taken place in Moscow, with some 90 Russian companies expressing interest in providing agricultural exports and investments into the country. Pork and flour supplies are especially needed with these a staple of Cuban cuisine.
Russian agriculture exporters are targeting South China’s ‘Greater Bay Area’ as a new export market as products diversify to different regions of the country a long way from the northern border. The Greater Bay Area includes Guangdong Province in addition to Hong Kong and Macau and is one of China’s most affluent regions.
Russia’s Segezha Group plans to begin supplying LNG tanker plywood to an Asian – possibly South Korean – shipyard for the construction of seven LNG container vessels. Segezha estimates that annual global demand for LNG plywood in shipbuilding totals tens of thousands of cubic meters and intends to be a major industry supplier.
Russia is looking to increase supplies of pork and grain to Vietnam after Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh discussed the matter with Russia’s Minister of Agriculture, Oksana Lut, in Moscow. Vietnam has Asia’s highest per capita consumption of pork meat.
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Russia has delivered 29 tons of humanitarian aid to Mozambique, sent via the huge Ilyushin IL-76 transport aircraft. The airlift delivered food supplies, essential items, as well as tents and blankets for the population affected by flooding in Mozambique.
India is discussing increasing the supplies of fertilizer from Russia as imports from the Middle East have ceased and China has also prohibited exports. The Indian summer crop planting season has begun and lasts through until the start of the June monsoon season, meaning the situation is becoming time critical.
Russia’s agricultural exports to Uzbekistan rose 19% last year, with sugar amongst the best performing items. Russian chocolate, soybean meal, sunflower oil and margarine all showed signifcant increases.
Russia’s Rosatom and Resurs of Chelyabinsk have signed agreements to exports and supply groats to several Asian markets due to increasing consumer demand. delivery will be by rail to Vladivostok and by shipping to Asian ports although overland deliveries are also being worked out. Global consumption of groats is rapidly increasing.
The Philippines has become the third largest importer of Russian pork after Vietnam and China, and ahead of Hong Kong and Mongolia. The world’s largest pork consumers per capita are in Europe, with Russia’s supplies to Asia adequately showcasing the changing supply chains in global markets.
Russian and Chinese businesses are collaborating in the biotechnology sector, an industry set to quadruple in size over the next decade and recognised as a key economic pillar by the Russian government. The Russian Agriculture Minister and a business delegation are currently in China looking at potential joint venture projects.
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