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is hard to assess as Russia is not publishing data on this and these results are drawn from the partner countries’ own customs data. Obviously, such an increase in exports to friendly countries in terms of money, while lagging behind in tonnes, is mainly due to the successful oil and gas situation last year, which has clearly changed this year.
The share of friendly countries in Russian exports has already reached its maximum and will not grow in the near future, Andrey Gnidchenko, a leading expert of the CMASF, told RBC.
“The structure of consumption in them is more or less stable, demand is limited and it will not be possible to endlessly redirect supplies. However, the share of neutral states may increase when [new] gas pipelines to China are built,” he said.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is currently experiencing a major crisis, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said February 16, 2023, speaking in the State Duma, the lower house of the national legislative assembly. Lavrov cited the situation involving China, which had observed all the rules laid down in the instruments of globalization after World War II. "When doubts arose, the People’s Republic of China gave all explanations to the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), that is, it observed all the standards. Playing on the US’ own court, it started beating them at their own game and has already come out on top in terms of GDP by purchasing power," the Russian top diplomat said. "There is a vague clause in the WTO that enables countries to introduce sanctions in case any existential threats to national security occur. You can put anything under that. The second problem is also the complete collapse of the said dispute resolution body of the WTO, since the Americans do not want to respond to fair appeals that are sent to them by many countries, especially the People'’s Republic of China," Lavrov noted.
5.2 Balance of payments, current account
The share of “unfriendly” states sanctioning Russia in country’s exports declined from 58% to 35% in 11M22, while the share of “friendly” countries rose from 42% to 65% or $350bn, according to the latest data by the Ministry of Economic Development cited by RBC business portal.
This would mean that Russian exporters reoriented almost 25% of the country's exports since the start of the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, in a continued and intensified Pivot to the East covered in detail by bne IntelliNews.
Overall exports of goods from Russia in 11M22 reached $538bn up by 23%, while imports declined by 13% y/y to $230bn, making a foreign trade turnover to $768bn in eleven months, up by 10% y/y.
The Federal Customs Service commented to RBC that at the end of 2022 the
85 RUSSIA Country Report March 2023 www.intellinews.com