Anastasia Gorbacheva17:38, 15.09.25

It is noted that due to sanctions, the volume of trade has significantly decreased, but has not stopped.

Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United States and the European Union continue to import Russian energy and raw materials. The trade is estimated at billions of euros.

The Reutes agency writes that after the introduction of EU sanctions, exports to Russia fell by 61% and imports from the Russian Federation by 89% from the first quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025.

In the second quarter of this year, the EU’s exports to Russia increased and imports fell, resulting in a surplus of 0.8 billion euros. The bloc buys oil, nickel, natural gas, fertilizers, iron and steel from Moscow.

Oil

Four years ago, Russia was the largest supplier of petroleum products to the EU, but the ban on seaborne imports of Russian crude oil reduced its share from 28.74% in 2021 to 2.01% in 2025. By contrast, the share of oil imports from Russia fell from 29% in the first quarter of 2021 to just 2% in the second quarter of 2025.

Gas

Russia’s share of EU natural gas imports fell to 12% in Q2 2025 from 48% in Q1 2021. Norway’s share rose sharply by 10% during the period, but Algeria, with a 2% increase, became the EU’s largest partner, now accounting for 27% of the bloc’s natural gas imports. 

At the same time, Russian gas still reaches some EU countries, such as Hungary and Bulgaria, via the Turkish Stream gas pipeline.

At the same time, the cost of importing liquefied natural gas from Russia to the European Union increased between the first quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2022 due to a price jump. However, Russia’s share in LNG imports to the EU decreased to 14% in the second quarter of 2025 from 22% in the first quarter of 2021. In the second quarter of this year, the United States became the largest supplier of liquefied gas to Europe, whose share reached 54%.

Ferrous metallurgy and fertilizers

Russia’s share of ferrous metallurgy imports to countries outside the European bloc fell to 6% in the second quarter of 2025 from 18% four years ago.

Also, as of the second quarter of 2025, the Russian Federation remained the largest exporter of fertilizers to the 27 EU countries, and its share in this market has grown from 28% to 34% over the past four years.

US imports from Russia

U.S. imports from Russia fell to $2.50 billion in the first half of 2025 from $14.14 billion four years ago. Since January 2022, the U.S. has imported $24.51 billion worth of Russian goods.

Thus, last year the United States imported Russian fertilizers worth about $1.27 billion, which is slightly more than in 2021 ($1.14 billion).

At the same time, in 2024, the United States imported enriched uranium and plutonium from Russia worth about $624 million, which is less than in 2021 ($646 million). In the same year, Moscow exported palladium to the United States worth about $878 million, which is lower than the 2021 figure ($1.59 billion).

Punishment for trading with Russia

US President Donald Trump imposed higher tariffs on India after Delhi refused to stop buying Russian oil, ignoring his efforts to end Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Indian officials then reminded the American leader about Washington’s trade with Moscow.

The US also threatened to take punitive measures against China for purchasing Russian energy resources.

The Financial Times later reported that  Trump was pressuring the European Union to impose 100% tariffs  on imports from India and China.

On September 15, it became known that the US President accused Europe of not imposing tough enough sanctions against Russia.

(C)UNIAN 2025