That projected dollar metric results from a -26.9% slowdown compared to $492.3 billion five years earlier in 2021.
Year over year, the total value of Russian exports dropped by -12.2% from $409.7 billion for 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, the Russian ruble depreciated by -11.2% against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. The Russian Federation’s weaker local currency makes Russian exports paid for in stronger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers starting from American currency.
Russia’s 5 most valuable export products in 2025 were crude oil, refined petroleum oils, petroleum gases, coal and unwrought gold. In aggregate, those major exports accounted for 58.1% of overall exports sales from Russia.
Such a high percentage suggests that the Russian Federation distributes a relatively concentrated range of exported goods on global markets.
Russia is a world leader for exporting wheat and ranks among the most lucrative for global sales of crude oil, refined petroleum oils and coal.
Best Russian Exports Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 63.4% of products exported from Russia was bought by importers in: mainland China (14% of the Russian total), Netherlands (8.6%), Germany (6%), Türkiye (5.4%), Belarus (4.7%), United Kingdom (4.5%), Italy (3.9%), Kazakhstan (3.8%), United States of America (3.6%), South Korea (3.43%), Poland (3.4%) and Japan (2.2%).
From a continental perspective, 50.8% of Russia’s exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 39.9% was sold to importers in Asia. Russia shipped another 4.4% worth of goods to North America.
Smaller percentages went to Africa (3%), Latin America (1.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Given Russia’s population of 145.6 million people, its total US$359.7 billion in 2025 exports translates to roughly $2,475 for every resident in the vast Eurasian country for 2025. That metric lags the per-capita average of $2,650 in 2024.
Russia’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Russian global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Russia.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$212.6 billion (59.1% of total exports)
- Gems, precious metals: $22.7 billion (6.3%)
- Fertilizers: $17.9 billion (5%)
- Iron, steel: $12.8 billion (3.6%)
- Aluminum: $10.3 billion (2.9%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $8.7 billion (2.4%)
- Copper: $7 billion (2%)
- Fish: $6.3 billion (1.8%)
- Cereals: $5.9 billion (1.6%)
- Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: $5.7 billion (1.6%)
Russia’s top 10 export product categories generated 86.2% of the overall value of its global shipments.
Ores, slag and ash represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 46.3% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was aluminum via a 35.6% advance.
Russia’s shipments of copper posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 34.1%.
The severest decliners among Russia’s top 10 export categories were cereals (down -53.7% from 2024), mineral fuels including oil (down -16.8%) and animal or vegetable fats, oils and waxes (down -14.8%).
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level.
At the more detailed 4-digit HTS code level, the most valuable Russian export product was crude petroleum oils (27.2% of Russia’s total exports).
In second place were processed petroleum oils (10.7%) ahead of petroleum gases (10.4%), coal and solid fuels made from coal (5.1%), unwrought gold (4.5%), unwrought aluminum (2.7%), fertilizer mixes (1.7%), nitrogenous fertilizers (also 1.7%), potassic fertilizers (1.6%) then semi-finished iron or non-alloy steel products (1.5%).
Products Generating Highest Trade Surpluses for Russia
Overall Russia generated an estimated US$177.6 billion trade surplus during 2025, a -10.4% decline from the $198.3 billion surplus one year earlier for 2024.
The following types of Russian product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Mineral fuels including oil: US$211.6 billion (Down by -16.8% since 2024)
- Gems, precious metals: $22.2 billion (Down by -6.8%)
- Fertilizers: $17.8 billion (Up by 16.2%)
- Iron, steel: $10.4 billion (Up by 0.1%)
- Aluminum: $9.6 billion (Up by 42.4%)
- Ores, slag, ash: $8.3 billion (Up by 64.3%)
- Copper: $6.5 billion (Up by 45.6%)
- Cereals: $5.7 billion (Down by -54.1%)
- Fish: $4.8 billion (Up by 15.8%)
- Wood: $4.7 billion (Down by -19.6%)
Historically, Russia produces highly positive net exports in the international trade of crude and refined oils, petroleum gases and coal. In turn, these cashflows indicate Russia’s strong competitive advantages under the mineral fuels including oil category.
Products Causing Highest Trade Deficits for Russia
Below are exports from Russia that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Russia’s goods trail Russian importer spending on foreign products.
- Machinery including computers: -US$29.8 billion (Down by -16.9% since 2024)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$16.03 billion (Down by -13.9%)
- Vehicles: -$16.02 billion (Down by -44%)
- Pharmaceuticals: -$13.6 billion (Up by 19.8%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: -$6.7 billion (Up by 3.3%)
- Fruits, nuts: -$4.5 billion (Down by -3.5%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$4.2 billion (Down by -13.7%)
- Organic chemicals: -$3.5 billion (Up by 5.3%)
- Footwear: -$3.4 billion (Down by -14.6%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: -$3 billion (Up by 8.1%)
Russia has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for machinery including computers.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Russia’s competitive disadvantages in the international machinery market, but also represent key opportunities for Russia to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations.
Major Russian Export Companies
Almost 30 Russian corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. The following companies are selected examples of leading companies headquartered in Russia.
- Gazprom (oil, gas)
- Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel (iron, steel)
- Mechel (iron, steel)
- Severstal (iron, steel)
- Sistema (telecommunications)
- Surgutneftegas (oil, gas)
Wikipedia also lists large international trade players from Russia.
- Alrosa (diversified metals)
- LukOil (oil, gas)
- Norilsk Nickel (diversified metals)
- Novatek (oil, gas)
- Novolipetsk Steel (iron, steel)
- Rosneft (oil, gas)
- Tatneft (oil, gas)
- Transneft (oil and gas equipment)
- UC Rusal (aluminum)
- Uralkali (specialized chemicals)
In macroeconomic terms, Russia’s total exported goods represent 5% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($7.192 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 5% for exports to overall GDP per PPP in 2025 compares to 5.6% one year earlier. Those percentages suggest Russia’s relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for its total economic performance–albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Russia’s unemployment rate averaged 2.777% in 2025, up from an average 2.516% jobless rate for 2024 according to International Monetary Fund metrics.
Related Read: Russia’s Top 100 Consumer Product Exports
See also Russia’s Top 10 Imports, Russia Top Trading Partners, Top Russian Trade Balances and Russia’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook: Country Profiles. Accessed on May 15, 2026
EXCHANGE-RATES.org Russian Ruble (RUB) to US Dollar, Exchange Rate History. Accessed on April 29, 2025
Forbes 2021 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on May 15, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on May 15, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on May 15, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on May 15, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on May 15, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Russia. Accessed on May 15, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on May 15, 2026