EU: Italy is Russia’s Largest Trading Partner
Trade between Russia and EU countries grows despite Western sanctions
News that certainly would not quite if at all please the anti-Russian clique at the top of the European Union. In September 2024, Italy became Russia’s top trading partner among EU countries, surpassing Germany for the first time in six months. According to European statistics agency Eurostat, trade between Italy and Russia suddenly increased by 25% in September compared to the previous month, rising to 768 million euros, despite Western sanctions. The previous occasion when Italy was at the top of the ranking of Russia’s largest trading partners in Europe dates back to March 2024.
According to the RIA Novosti news agency, Italy’s advance in September “is mainly due to a one-third increase in Italian imports of Russian products: Russian exports to Italy actually rose to 427.1 million euros.” “At the same time,” writes RIA Novosti, “Italy also increased exports to Russia by 17% to 340.9 million euros.”
Germany, hit by an unprecedented economic and political crisis, slipped to second place in the ranking despite a 3.4% increase in bilateral trade to 720 million euros.
However, Germany surpassed Italy in exports of its own products to Russia, increasing them in September by 3% to 647.8 million euros. In the top three largest exporting countries to Russia after Italy with the export volume of 340.9 million euros is Poland, which exported to Russia products and services worth 215.2 million euros in the same month.
In the list of Russia’s largest trade partners among the EU countries, France was in third place in September: trade turnover with Russia increased by 29% to 469 million euros. Other European leading countries in the ranking also include Hungary (+22%, €451 million) and the Netherlands (+12%, €437 million), Slovakia (+10%, €353.4 million).
Among Russia’s main European trade partners, the most notable growth was recorded in September with Belgium, with trade turnover increasing 1.6 times to 419 million euros. Trade with Spain recorded a 2% decrease, falling to 186 million euros.
