CBR lowers estimate for Russia's Q1 trade surplus to $30.1 bln from $32.5 bln

MOSCOW. May 19 (Interfax) - Russia's foreign trade surplus as calculated using the balance of payments method shrank by $4.7 billion or 13.4% to $30.1 billion in the first quarter of 2025 from $34.8 billion in the same period last year, the Central Bank reported.

This estimate is lower than the estimate of $32.5 billion that the Central Bank published in April, and the trade surplus estimate for March has also been cut, to $11.8 billion from $14.8 billion.

The figure was revised primarily because the estimate for exports was reduced, while the estimate for imports was increased somewhat.

The Central Bank now estimates that Russian exports totalled $95.5 billion in the first quarter of 2025 (rather than $97.5 billion), which is down $6.4 billion or 6.3% from $101.9 billion a year earlier. The export estimate for March has been cut to $34.6 billion from $37.2 billion.

Imports in the first quarter are now estimated at $65.3 billion (rather than $64.9 billion), which is down by $1.7 billion or 2.3% from $67.1 billion a year earlier. The import estimate for March has been raised to $22.8 billion from $22.4 billion.