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The volume of Morocco’s vegetable and fruit exports to Russia has increased by 45% during the first seven months of the year 2022, compared to the same period last year.
Rosselkhoznadzo, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, said on Wednesday that the country’s imports of fruits and vegetables amounted to 5.1 billion tonnes during the first seven months of this year.
Moroccan oranges are a beloved product in Russia. With Morocco’s citrus exports making up around 90% of the country’s agri-food exports to Russia, the latter received over 53,600 tonnes of clementines and over 33,700 tonnes of tangerines during the first seven months of 2022, Rosselkhoznadzo noted.
In addition to Morocco, Russia’s import volumes from other countries have increased in comparison to the same period last year, including Turkmenistan (+30%), Kazakhstan (+21%), Tajikistan (+16%), Uzbekistan (+14%), and China (+11%).
Despite the sanctions imposed on Russia, Rosselkhoznadzo rules out the need “to build new supply chains,” explaining that to date, “the foreign trade corridors Russia-Turkey, Russia-Iran, Russia-India, Russia-China are in operation.”
Following its invasion of Ukraine, Russia was subjected to several business withdrawals and financial sanctions from Western countries, providing a major threat to the country’s economy.
Read also: Morocco Declines Russia’s Request to Bypass Sanctions
The decision resulted in a global energy shock, with European countries contemplating other options for their domestic natural gas supply, such as speeding up the transition to renewable energy.
In an attempt to mitigate the effects of the sanctions, Moscow has been trying to expand its imports from India via Iran, the Caspian Sea, or Central Asian countries, partially replacing European ports.
However, a recent economic analysis from Yale University revealed that the financial sanctions are profoundly weakening Russia’s economy.
“Moscow has been cherry-picking economic data to support President Putin’s insistence that everything is fine and the Russian economy is going strong,” the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month.
