Russia’s trade surplus widened to USD 18.7 billion in October of 2018 from USD 10.1 billion in the corresponding month of the previous year, and well above market expectations of a USD 17.9 billion surplus. Exports jumped 30.8 percent to USD 41.3 billion in October from USD 31.6 billion a year ago, as exports to non-CIS countries climbed 33.7 percent to USD 35.9 billion and those to CIS countries went up 14.4 percent to USD 5.43 billion. Imports increased at a much softer 0.5 percent year-on-year to USD 21.62 billion, rebounding from a 2.9 percent drop in the prior month. Imports from non-CIS countries edged up 0.2 percent to USD 19.29 billion and those from CIS countries rose 3 percent to USD 2.32 billion. Balance of Trade in Russia averaged 9271.17 USD Million from 1997 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 20356 USD Million in January of 2012 and a record low of -203 USD Million in February of 1998.
Balance of Trade in Russia is expected to be 15200.00 USD Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Balance of Trade in Russia to stand at 9800.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Russia Balance of Trade is projected to trend around 10900.00 USD Million in 2020, according to our econometric models.