Russian trade with Syria 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 Syria in 2018: exports, imports, products, dynamics.
Russia’s Trade with Syria
In 2018, Russia’s trade with Syria totaled $401,465,290, up 41.97% ($118,693,345) from 2017.
Russia’s exports to Syria in 2018 totaled $397,224,655, up 41.94% ($117,365,933) from 2017.
Russia’s imports from Syria in 2018 totaled $4,240,635, up 45.57% ($1,327,412) from 2017.
Russia’s trade surplus with Syria in 2018 was $392,984,020, a 41.90% increase ($116,038,521) over 2017.
Syria was Russia’s 87th largest trading partner in 2018 (up from 92nd in 2017), accounting for 0.0583% of Russia’s total trade (up from 0.0484% in 2017).
Syria was Russia’s 77th largest export market in 2018 (down from 76th in 2017), accounting for 0.0883% of Russia’s total exports (up from 0.0784% in 2017).
Syria was Russia’s 130th largest supplier in 2018 (up from 135th in 2017), accounting for 0.0018% of Russia’s total imports (up from 0.0013% in 2017).
Russia’s Exports to Syria
The major share of Russian exports to Syria in 2018 (and in 2017) was accounted for the following product types:
- Wood and wood products (HS codes 44-49) - 22.97% of Russia’s total exports to Syria (15.59% in 2017);
- Food products and agricultural raw materials (HS codes 01-24) - 13.86% of Russia’s total exports to Syria (34.76% in 2017);
- Machinery, equipment and vehicles (HS codes 84-90) - 9.17% of Russia’s total exports to Syria (5.01% in 2017);
- Chemical products (HS codes 28-40) - 8.52% of Russia’s total exports to Syria (10.46% in 2017);
- Metals and products from them (HS codes 72-83) - 1.71% of Russia’s total exports to Syria (0.32% in 2017).
The largest gains in Russia’s exports to Syria in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans (HS code 49) - an increase of $41,154,661;
- Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes (HS code 15) - an increase of $15,635,931;
- 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 $14,259,228;
- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof (HS code 84) - an increase of $11,401,231;
- Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal (HS code 44) - an increase of $7,721,196;
- Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations (HS code 36) - an increase of $4,048,968;
- Copper and articles thereof (HS code 74) - an increase of $3,436,537;
- Iron and steel (HS code 72) - an increase of $1,869,310.
The largest declines in Russia’s exports to Syria in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Cereals (HS code 10) - a decrease of $31,406,380;
- Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes (HS code 24) - a decrease of $23,773,064;
- Sugars and sugar confectionery (HS code 17) - a decrease of $2,782,026;
- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof (HS code 87) - a decrease of $2,742,827;
- Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard (HS code 48) - a decrease of $1,269,234.
| HS code |
Name of product group | Value of exports in 2018, US dollars ($) |
Percent share in total export | Value of exports in 2017, US dollars ($) |
Percent change in 2018 over 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 | Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers | 1,122,264 | 0.28 | 0 | ∞ |
| 10 | Cereals | 34,687,664 | 8.73 | 66,094,044 | -47.52 |
| 11 | Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten | 482,959 | 0.12 | 1,107,431 | -56.39 |
| 12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruits; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder | 0 | 0.00 | 8,000 | -100.00 |
| 15 | Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes | 18,400,649 | 4.63 | 2,764,718 | 565.55 |
| 16 | Preparations of meat, of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates | 0 | 0.00 | 16,760 | -100.00 |
| 17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 0 | 0.00 | 2,782,026 | -100.00 |
| 19 | Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; bakers’ wares | 0 | 0.00 | 6,466 | -100.00 |
| 20 | Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants | 0 | 0.00 | 2,329 | -100.00 |
| 21 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | 0 | 0.00 | 295,798 | -100.00 |
| 22 | Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 32,100 | 0.01 | 93,909 | -65.82 |
| 24 | Tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes | 330,632 | 0.08 | 24,103,696 | -98.63 |
| 25 | Salt; sulfur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement | 0 | 0.00 | 551 | -100.00 |
| 27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 1,805,673 | 0.45 | 2,180,875 | -17.20 |
| 28 | Inorganic chemicals; organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare-earth metals,of radioactive elements or of isotopes | 244,054 | 0.06 | 943,419 | -74.13 |
| 29 | Organic chemicals | 29,710 | 0.01 | 588 | 4,952.72 |
| 30 | Pharmaceutical products | 1,634,471 | 0.41 | 843,071 | 93.87 |
| 32 | Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, putty and mastics | 1,063,997 | 0.27 | 854,390 | 24.53 |
| 33 | Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations | 72,784 | 0.02 | 72,182 | 0.83 |
| 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 | 708 | 0.00 | 2,234 | -68.31 |
| 35 | Albuminoidal substances; modified starches; glues; enzymes | 26 | 0.00 | 54 | -51.85 |
| 36 | Explosives; pyrotechnic products; matches; pyrophoric alloys; certain combustible preparations | 29,025,570 | 7.31 | 24,976,602 | 16.21 |
| 37 | Photographic or cinematographic goods | 636 | 0.00 | 29 | 2,093.10 |
| 38 | Miscellaneous chemical products | 109,342 | 0.03 | 114,061 | -4.14 |
| 39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 1,389,631 | 0.35 | 771,640 | 80.09 |
| 40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 276,482 | 0.07 | 689,743 | -59.92 |
| 42 | Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) | 728 | 0.00 | 838 | -13.13 |
| 44 | Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal | 24,352,819 | 6.13 | 16,631,623 | 46.42 |
| 45 | Cork and articles of cork | 0 | 0.00 | 160 | -100.00 |
| 48 | Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard | 386,304 | 0.10 | 1,655,538 | -76.67 |
| 49 | Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans | 66,505,995 | 16.74 | 25,351,334 | 162.34 |
| 52 | Cotton | 27,179 | 0.01 | 0 | ∞ |
| 54 | Man-made filaments | 38,769 | 0.01 | 0 | ∞ |
| 56 | Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns, twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof | 538 | 0.00 | 975 | -44.82 |
| 57 | Carpets and other textile floor coverings | 33 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 59 | Impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use | 102,318 | 0.03 | 65,846 | 55.39 |
| 61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted | 283 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 62 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted | 1,161 | 0.00 | 4 | 28,925.00 |
| 63 | Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags | 4,169 | 0.00 | 32,947 | -87.35 |
| 64 | Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts of such articles | 20,434 | 0.01 | 0 | ∞ |
| 65 | Headgear and parts thereof | 293 | 0.00 | 53 | 452.83 |
| 68 | Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials | 8,371 | 0.00 | 1,562 | 435.92 |
| 69 | Ceramic products | 15 | 0.00 | 27,108 | -99.94 |
| 70 | Glass and glassware | 811 | 0.00 | 17,506 | -95.37 |
| 71 | Natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones,precious metals, metals clad with precious metal and articles thereof; imitation jewelry; coin | 11 | 0.00 | 6 | 83.33 |
| 72 | Iron and steel | 1,869,326 | 0.47 | 16 | 11,683,187.50 |
| 73 | Articles of iron or steel | 481,265 | 0.12 | 133,150 | 261.45 |
| 74 | Copper and articles thereof | 3,981,370 | 1.00 | 544,833 | 630.75 |
| 76 | Aluminum and articles thereof | 3,396 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 78 | Lead and articles thereof | 770 | 0.00 | 4 | 19,150.00 |
| 81 | Other base metals; cermets; articles thereof | 0 | 0.00 | 155,002 | -100.00 |
| 82 | Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal | 464,632 | 0.12 | 1,544 | 29,992.75 |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 3,004 | 0.00 | 59,047 | -94.91 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 14,969,697 | 3.77 | 3,568,466 | 319.50 |
| 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 | 18,330,193 | 4.61 | 4,070,965 | 350.27 |
| 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 | 15,019 | 0.00 | 2,855 | 426.06 |
| 87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 2,881,178 | 0.73 | 5,624,005 | -48.77 |
| 90 | Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof | 215,283 | 0.05 | 746,573 | -71.16 |
| 91 | Clocks and watches and parts thereof | 102 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 92 | Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | -100.00 |
| 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 | 97,105 | 0.02 | 8,750 | 1,009.77 |
| 95 | Toys, games and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof | 30 | 0.00 | 0 | ∞ |
| 96 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 2,125 | 0.00 | 2,948 | -27.92 |
| SS | Classified | 171,750,577 | 43.24 | 92 430 440 | 85.82 |
Russia’s Imports from Syria
The major share of Russian imports from Syria in 2018 (and in 2017) was accounted for the following product types:
- Food products and agricultural raw materials (HS codes 01-24) - 93.25% of Russia’s total imports from Syria (95.43% in 2017);
- Machinery, equipment and vehicles (HS codes 84-90) - 3.84% of Russia’s total imports from Syria (0.53% in 2017);
- Chemical products (HS codes 28-40) - 0.96% of Russia’s total imports from Syria (1.00% in 2017);
- Wood and wood products (HS codes 44-49) - 0.78% of Russia’s total imports from Syria (2.51% in 2017).
The largest gains in Russia’s imports from Syria in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons (HS code 08) - an increase of $876,322;
- Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers (HS code 07) - an increase of $153,398;
- Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof (HS code 87) - an increase of $88,968;
- Coffee, tea, maté and spices (HS code 09) - an increase of $79,314;
- Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes (HS code 15) - an increase of $66,251;
- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof (HS code 84) - an increase of $58,747;
- Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants (HS code 20) - an increase of $52,739;
- 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 (HS code 34) - an increase of $24,400;
- Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials (HS code 68) - an increase of $17,013;
- Special woven fabrics; tufted textile fabrics; lace, tapestries; trimmings; embroidery (HS code 58) - an increase of $15,365.
The largest declines in Russia’s imports from Syria in 2018 over 2017 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; bakers’ wares (HS code 19) - a decrease of $51,525;
- Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard (HS code 48) - a decrease of $33,382;
- Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations (HS code 33) - a decrease of $22,153;
- Cocoa and cocoa preparations (HS code 18) - a decrease of $17,059.
| HS code |
Name of product group | Value of imports in 2018, US dollars ($) |
Percent share in total import | Value of imports in 2017, US dollars ($) |
Percent change in 2018 over 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07 | Edible vegetables and certain roots and tubers | 444,423 | 10.48 | 291,025 | 52.71 |
| 08 | Edible fruit and nuts; peel of citrus fruit or melons | 2,829,461 | 66.72 | 1,953,139 | 44.87 |
| 09 | Coffee, tea, maté and spices | 283,009 | 6.67 | 203,695 | 38.94 |
| 12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruits; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder | 3,953 | 0.09 | 0 | ∞ |
| 15 | Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes | 227,293 | 5.36 | 161,042 | 41.14 |
| 17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 24,294 | 0.57 | 15,724 | 54.50 |
| 18 | Cocoa and cocoa preparations | 1,712 | 0.04 | 18,771 | -90.88 |
| 19 | Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; bakers’ wares | 18,740 | 0.44 | 70,265 | -73.33 |
| 20 | Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants | 112,331 | 2.65 | 59,592 | 88.50 |
| 21 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | 8,785 | 0.21 | 0 | ∞ |
| 22 | Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 420 | 0.01 | 6,941 | -93.95 |
| 33 | Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations | 0 | 0.00 | 22,153 | -100.00 |
| 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 | 31,378 | 0.74 | 6,978 | 349.67 |
| 39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 9,328 | 0.22 | 4 | 233,100.00 |
| 40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 39 | 0.00 | 132 | -70.45 |
| 42 | Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) | 2,975 | 0.07 | 0 | ∞ |
| 44 | Wood and articles of wood; wood charcoal | 0 | 0.00 | 3,270 | -100.00 |
| 48 | Paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, of paper or of paperboard | 32,859 | 0.77 | 66,241 | -50.39 |
| 49 | Printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry; manuscripts, typescripts and plans | 377 | 0.01 | 3,545 | -89.37 |
| 54 | Man-made filaments | 2,448 | 0.06 | 0 | ∞ |
| 58 | Special woven fabrics; tufted textile fabrics; lace, tapestries; trimmings; embroidery | 15,365 | 0.36 | 0 | ∞ |
| 61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted | 320 | 0.01 | 2,679 | -88.06 |
| 62 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted | 205 | 0.00 | 3,665 | -94.41 |
| 68 | Articles of stone, plaster, cement, asbestos, mica or similar materials | 17,013 | 0.40 | 0 | ∞ |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 11,087 | 0.26 | 1,135 | 876.83 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 66,074 | 1.56 | 7,327 | 801.79 |
| 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 | 7,738 | 0.18 | 6,467 | 19.65 |
| 87 | Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories thereof | 88,968 | 2.10 | 0 | ∞ |
| 90 | Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof | 0 | 0.00 | 1,545 | -100.00 |
| 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 | 0 | 0.00 | 7,188 | -100.00 |
| 96 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 40 | 0.00 | 700 | -94.29 |