Russian trade with Saudi Arabia in 2018
February 10, 2019
by Russian Foreign Trade
based on data from the Federal Customs Service of Russia
based on data from the Federal Customs Service of Russia
The Report on Russia’s foreign trade in goods with Saudi Arabia in 2018: exports, imports, products, dynamics.
Russia’s Trade with Saudi Arabia
In 2018, Russia’s trade with Saudi Arabia totaled $1,054,857,321, up 15.26% ($139,659,122) from 2017.
Russia’s exports to Saudi Arabia in 2018 were $762,729,126, down 1.03% ($7,953,362) from 2017.
Russia’s imports from Saudi Arabia in 2018 totaled $292,128,195, up 102.14% ($147,612,484) from 2017.
Russia’s trade surplus with Saudi Arabia in 2018 was $470,600,931, a 24.84% decrease ($155,565,846) over 2017.
Saudi Arabia was Russia’s 68th largest trading partner in 2018 (down from 65th in 2017), accounting for 0.1533% of Russia’s total trade (down from 0.1567% in 2017).
Saudi Arabia was Russia’s 62nd largest export market in 2018 (down from 56th in 2017), accounting for 0.1695% of Russia’s total exports (down from 0.2158% in 2017).
Saudi Arabia was Russia’s 66th largest supplier in 2018 (up from 76th in 2017), accounting for 0.1227% of Russia’s total imports (up from 0.0637% in 2017).
Russia’s Exports to Saudi Arabia
The major share of Russian exports to Saudi Arabia in 2018 (and in 2017) was accounted for the following product types:
- Food products and agricultural raw materials (HS codes 01-24) - 65.17% of Russia’s total exports to Saudi Arabia (44.59% in 2017);
- Metals and products from them (HS codes 72-83) - 9.56% of Russia’s total exports to Saudi Arabia (5.66% in 2017);
- Mineral products (HS codes 25-27) - 8.24% of Russia’s total exports to Saudi Arabia (35.38% in 2017);
- Wood and wood products (HS codes 44-49) - 4.98% of Russia’s total exports to Saudi Arabia (3.39% in 2017);
- Chemical products (HS codes 28-40) - 4.31% of Russia’s total exports to Saudi Arabia (8.09% in 2017);
- Machinery, equipment and vehicles (HS codes 84-90) - 1.13% of Russia’s total exports to Saudi Arabia (1.14% in 2017).
The largest gains in Russia’s exports to Saudi Arabia in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Cereals (HS code 10) - an increase of $142,227,849;
- Articles of iron or steel (HS code 73) - an increase of $40,676,210;
- Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard (HS code 48) - an increase of $15,937,328;
- Ores, slag and ash (HS code 26) - an increase of $9,224,342;
- Meat and edible meat offal (HS code 02) - an increase of $6,832,577;
- Cocoa and cocoa preparations (HS code 18) - an increase of $4,690,624;
- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles (HS code 85) - an increase of $2,297,576.
The largest declines in Russia’s exports to Saudi Arabia in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes (HS code 27) - a decrease of $219,073,565;
- Miscellaneous chemical products (HS code 38) - a decrease of $19,309,947;
- Iron and steel (HS code 72) - a decrease of $11,396,516;
- Rubber and articles thereof (HS code 40) - a decrease of $7,253,663;
- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal (HS code 44) - a decrease of $3,907,255;
- Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS code 07) - a decrease of $2,379,545.
| HS code |
Name of product group | Value of exports in 2018, US dollars ($) |
Percent share in total export | Value of exports in 2017, US dollars ($) |
Percent change in 2018 over 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | Meat and edible meat offal | 6,835,739 | 0.90 | 3,162 | 216,084.03 |
| 04 | Dairy produce; birds eggs; natural honey; edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included | 0 | 0.00 | 512,916 | -100.00 |
| 07 | Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers | 3,323,094 | 0.44 | 5,702,639 | -41.73 |
| 08 | Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons | 10,829 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 09 | Coffee, tea, maté and spices | 82,669 | 0.01 | 0 | ∞ |
| 10 | Cereals | 403,679,789 | 52.93 | 261,451,940 | 54.40 |
| 12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruits; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder | 21,200 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 15 | Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes | 57,197,589 | 7.50 | 55,943,600 | 2.24 |
| 16 | Preparations of meat, of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates | 0 | 0.00 | 54 | -100.00 |
| 17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 854,733 | 0.11 | 69,872 | 1,123.28 |
| 18 | Cocoa and cocoa preparations | 24,619,459 | 3.23 | 19,928,835 | 23.54 |
| 19 | Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; bakers’ wares | 419,005 | 0.05 | 0 | ∞ |
| 20 | Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants | 22,356 | 0.00 | 32,359 | -30.91 |
| 21 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | 7,263 | 0.00 | 210 | 3,358.57 |
| 22 | Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 24 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 25 | Salt; sulfur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | -100.00 |
| 26 | Ores, slag and ash | 9,224,342 | 1.21 | 0 | ∞ |
| 27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 53,589,384 | 7.03 | 272,662,949 | -80.35 |
| 28 | Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals,of radioactive elements or of isotopes | 1,230,896 | 0.16 | 1,272,888 | -3.30 |
| 29 | Organic chemicals | 399,279 | 0.05 | 1,198,862 | -66.70 |
| 30 | Pharmaceutical products | 2,119,935 | 0.28 | 4,154,383 | -48.97 |
| 31 | Fertilizers | 273,720 | 0.04 | 427,607 | -35.99 |
| 32 | Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, putty and mastics | 1,078 | 0.00 | 48,290 | -97.77 |
| 33 | Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations | 256,529 | 0.03 | 267,406 | -4.07 |
| 34 | Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modeling pastes, "dental waxes" and dental preparations with a basis of plaster | 32,388 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 38 | Miscellaneous chemical products | 17,783,931 | 2.33 | 37,093,878 | -52.06 |
| 39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 304,293 | 0.04 | 143,545 | 111.98 |
| 40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 10,475,382 | 1.37 | 17,729,045 | -40.91 |
| 42 | Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) | 262 | 0.00 | 55 | 376.36 |
| 43 | Furskins and artificial fur; manufactures thereof | 4,832 | 0.00 | 7,365 | -34.39 |
| 44 | Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal | 8,160,659 | 1.07 | 12,067,914 | -32.38 |
| 47 | Pulp of wood or of other fibrous cellulosic material; waste and scrap of paper or paperboard | 830,118 | 0.11 | 994,052 | -16.49 |
| 48 | Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard | 28,986,722 | 3.80 | 13,049,394 | 122.13 |
| 49 | Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans | 1,400 | 0.00 | 7,399 | -81.08 |
| 54 | Man-made filaments | 0 | 0.00 | 41,342 | -100.00 |
| 56 | Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns, twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof | 401,197 | 0.05 | 777,330 | -48.39 |
| 58 | Special woven fabrics; tufted textile fabrics; lace, tapestries; trimmings; embroidery | 14 | 0.00 | 14 | 0.00 |
| 59 | Impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use | 1,394,775 | 0.18 | 784,835 | 77.72 |
| 61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted | 812 | 0.00 | 1,573 | -48.38 |
| 62 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted | 70,973 | 0.01 | 30,206 | 134.96 |
| 63 | Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags | 0 | 0.00 | 140 | -100.00 |
| 64 | Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts of such articles | 9,120 | 0.00 | 6,533 | 39.60 |
| 65 | Headgear and parts thereof | 0 | 0.00 | 631 | -100.00 |
| 68 | Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials | 1,437 | 0.00 | 22,189 | -93.52 |
| 69 | Ceramic products | 320 | 0.00 | 15,976 | -98.00 |
| 70 | Glass and glassware | 1,003 | 0.00 | 391 | 156.52 |
| 71 | Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones,precious metals, metals clad with precious metal and articles thereof; imitation jewelry; coin | 0 | 0.00 | 2 | -100.00 |
| 72 | Iron and steel | 31,284,948 | 4.10 | 42,681,464 | -26.70 |
| 73 | Articles of iron or steel | 41,337,898 | 5.42 | 661,688 | 6,147.34 |
| 74 | Copper and articles thereof | 18,718 | 0.00 | 657 | 2,749.01 |
| 75 | Nickel and articles thereof | 26,904 | 0.00 | 10,160 | 164.80 |
| 76 | Aluminum and articles thereof | 278 | 0.00 | 78 | 256.41 |
| 81 | Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof | 38,646 | 0.01 | 1,361 | 2,739.53 |
| 82 | Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal | 224,548 | 0.03 | 253,037 | -11.26 |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 22,311 | 0.00 | 19,381 | 15.12 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 3,028,371 | 0.40 | 3,693,212 | -18.00 |
| 85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 3,300,241 | 0.43 | 1,002,665 | 229.15 |
| 87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 1,185,917 | 0.16 | 2,470,464 | -52.00 |
| 90 | Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof | 1,138,343 | 0.15 | 1,582,002 | -28.04 |
| 92 | Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles | 1,200 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 94 | Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated sign illuminated nameplates and the like; prefabricated buildings | 44,785 | 0.01 | 120,152 | -62.73 |
| 95 | Toys, games and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof | 437,049 | 0.06 | 6,088 | 7,078.86 |
| 96 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 319 | 0.00 | 84,585 | -99.62 |
| SS | Classified | 48,010,100 | 6.29 | 11 643 710 | 312.33 |
Russia’s Imports from Saudi Arabia
The major share of Russian imports from Saudi Arabia in 2018 (and in 2017) was accounted for the following product types:
- Chemical products (HS codes 28-40) - 96.67% of Russia’s total imports from Saudi Arabia (94.03% in 2017);
- Textiles, textile products and footwear (HS codes 50-67) - 1.46% of Russia’s total imports from Saudi Arabia (2.80% in 2017);
- Metals and products from them (HS codes 72-83) - 0.42% of Russia’s total imports from Saudi Arabia (1.45% in 2017).
The largest gains in Russia’s imports from Saudi Arabia in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Plastics and articles thereof (HS code 39) - an increase of $108,386,449;
- Organic chemicals (HS code 29) - an increase of $35,249,839;
- Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, putty and mastics (HS code 32) - an increase of $2,942,468;
- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof (HS code 84) - an increase of $2,156,451;
- Rubber and articles thereof (HS code 40) - an increase of $1,655,310.
The largest declines in Russia’s imports from Saudi Arabia in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Pharmaceutical products (HS code 30) - a decrease of $1,719,362.
| HS code |
Name of product group | Value of imports in 2018, US dollars ($) |
Percent share in total import | Value of imports in 2017, US dollars ($) |
Percent change in 2018 over 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08 | Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons | 536,381 | 0.18 | 396,538 | 35.27 |
| 09 | Coffee, tea, maté and spices | 1,263 | 0.00 | 2,382 | -46.98 |
| 15 | Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes | 49,907 | 0.02 | 27,303 | 82.79 |
| 17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 2,395 | 0.00 | 5,055 | -52.62 |
| 18 | Cocoa and cocoa preparations | 3,242 | 0.00 | 14,503 | -77.65 |
| 19 | Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; bakers’ wares | 4,134 | 0.00 | 14,276 | -71.04 |
| 20 | Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants | 46,000 | 0.02 | 9,598 | 379.27 |
| 21 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | 428 | 0.00 | 11 | 3,790.91 |
| 22 | Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 174,472 | 0.06 | 175,581 | -0.63 |
| 23 | Residues and waste from the food industries; prepared animal feed | 38,743 | 0.01 | 8,622 | 349.35 |
| 25 | Salt; sulfur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement | 0 | 0.00 | 168,125 | -100.00 |
| 27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 0 | 0.00 | 167,353 | -100.00 |
| 29 | Organic chemicals | 80,747,911 | 27.64 | 45,498,072 | 77.48 |
| 30 | Pharmaceutical products | 4,897,254 | 1.68 | 6,616,616 | -25.99 |
| 32 | Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, putty and mastics | 5,902,025 | 2.02 | 2,959,557 | 99.42 |
| 33 | Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations | 86,765 | 0.03 | 65,798 | 31.87 |
| 34 | Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modeling pastes, "dental waxes" and dental preparations with a basis of plaster | 334 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 35 | Albuminoidal substances; modified starches; glues; enzymes | 38,193 | 0.01 | 61 | 62,511.48 |
| 38 | Miscellaneous chemical products | 1,080,837 | 0.37 | 1,159,612 | -6.79 |
| 39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 186,705,855 | 63.91 | 78,319,406 | 138.39 |
| 40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 2,926,594 | 1.00 | 1,271,284 | 130.21 |
| 42 | Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) | 0 | 0.00 | 750 | -100.00 |
| 48 | Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard | 644,518 | 0.22 | 379,961 | 69.63 |
| 49 | Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans | 80 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 54 | Man-made filaments | 4,169,253 | 1.43 | 4,050,473 | 2.93 |
| 56 | Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns, twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof | 100,574 | 0.03 | 0 | ∞ |
| 62 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted | 0 | 0.00 | 2,620 | -100.00 |
| 68 | Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials | 33,593 | 0.01 | 216,551 | -84.49 |
| 70 | Glass and glassware | 0 | 0.00 | 11,270 | -100.00 |
| 73 | Articles of iron or steel | 60,670 | 0.02 | 7,495 | 709.47 |
| 74 | Copper and articles thereof | 307 | 0.00 | 664 | -53.77 |
| 79 | Zinc and articles thereof | 163,985 | 0.06 | 149,751 | 9.51 |
| 82 | Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal | 77,946 | 0.03 | 728,245 | -89.30 |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 928,565 | 0.32 | 1,216,183 | -23.65 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 2,554,527 | 0.87 | 398,076 | 541.72 |
| 85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 128,077 | 0.04 | 276,013 | -53.60 |
| 86 | Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds | 6,525 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 8,451 | 0.00 | 20,510 | -58.80 |
| 90 | Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof | 3,226 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 94 | Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated sign illuminated nameplates and the like; prefabricated buildings | 5,165 | 0.00 | 173,828 | -97.03 |
| 96 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 0 | 0.00 | 3,568 | -100.00 |