Page 98 - RusRPTJun24

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India more than doubled its purchases of diamonds from Russia in March. It seems that the only loser from US/Europe anti Russian diamonds sanctions is Belgium. There has been a serious reduction in exports of diamonds from Belgium to India. Exports of diamonds from Belgium to India fell by 2mn carats, to 2.1mn. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade of India, in March, the country increased its purchases of diamonds from the Russian Federation. They more than doubled in annual terms - to 728 thousand carats. At the same time, India increased the import of Canadian stones to 354 thousand carats (210 carats in March 2023). Imports of diamonds from China also jumped by 2.6 times, to 122 thousand carats.
Fertilizer Imports from Russia to the EU Reach Record High Since December 2022.For the third consecutive month, the EU has increased its imports of fertilizers from Russia, reaching €174mn in March, marking the highest level in two years. Poland remains the largest buyer with €36mn, followed by Romania and France. Western media have been highlighting how Europe is once again becoming dependent on Russia. However, there is a significant nuance—this dependency is not out of choice. Many European fertilizer producers have gone bankrupt and shut down due to EU policies and sanctions on Russian energy resources. European farmers have little
98 RUSSIA Country Report June 2024 www.intellinews.com