Russian exports to Syria

Russian exports to Syria slumped three times after the beginning of the Syrian civil war to $0.6bn in 2011/12, according to official statistics of the Russian Federal Customs Service.

In 2013/14 the drop continued to its low of $0.2bn. The period of 2014/16 saw a stagnation in trade, but in 2017, Russian exports to Syria picked up by 54% from the previous year to achieve $0.3bn.

After 2011, Russian imports from Syria dropped by 37% over 2011/12. In 2017, Russian imports fell lower and stood at $2.9m (down 74% from 2016).

Dynamics of Russian exports and imports (--- Russian exports to Syria, --- Russian imports from Syria)

Russian exports to Syria included primarily “secret codes” (SSSS) (33% of the total);

wheat and meslin (11%), postage and excise stamps (9%), cigarettes (9%), barley (7%), timber (6%), explosives (4%), maize (4%), gunpowder (4%), and rice (2%).

Thirty-six Russian regions exported in Syria in 2017, the leaders being Moscow ($45m), Tula Region ($31m), Perm Territory ($25m), St. Petersburg ($20m), Krasnodar Territory ($19m), Ulyanovsk Region on the Volga ($17m), and Chelyabinsk Region in the Urals ($16m).

Russia imported from Syria citrus fruit (33% of the total), apricots, cherries, peaches and plums (26%), other fruit (8%), tomatoes (8%), aniseeds, fennel, coriander and cumin (7%), olive oil (6%), bread and bakery (2%), and packaging materials (2%).