The economic situation in Russia at the beginning of 2025 is marked by an increase in problems with international payments, leading to delays in settlements for goods.
This was reported by the Foreign Intelligence Service.
In January 2025, imports to Russia rose by 11.4%, reaching $23.9 billion. However, $5.4 billion remained unpaid due to issues with payments. In December 2024, the unpaid amount was $2.6 billion.
Export figures remained unchanged at $28.5 billion, which was insufficient to offset the growth in imports. As a result, the trade surplus decreased to nearly $4.6 billion, the lowest level since August 2020.
At the same time, the Central Bank of Russia revised the amount of payments stuck abroad in December 2024, from $5.2 billion to $7.1 billion.
The complications in international settlements will have long-term consequences for Russia's economy: reduced import and export volumes, lower budget revenues, and restricted access to critical goods and technologies.
