Russia: Trade surplus shrinks on plummeting exports in February
Merchandise exports dived 19.1% year-on-year and totaled USD 28.1 in February (January: -2.6% year-on-year). February’s result marked the sharpest contraction in exports since June 2016.
Meanwhile, merchandise imports edged up 1.1% annually in February to USD 18.5 billion. February’s print represented a slowdown from the previous month’s 3.2% year-on-year increase.
As a result, the trade surplus shrank to USD 9.7 billion in February 2020, from USD 16.5 billion in February 2019. Meanwhile, the trailing 12-month sum of the trade balance fell to a 19-month low of USD 156 billion in February, from the previous month’s USD 163 billion.