"Exports are growing": Crimean agricultural products have secretly entered Asian markets.
For over 10 years, Crimea has been living under sanctions, with logistical restrictions and difficulties with bank transfers abroad.
But even under these conditions, the region is developing foreign economic relations, presenting its products at international exhibitions and expanding the geography of exports, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
Export volumes are estimated at tens of millions of dollars. Exact figures since the start of the SVO are classified as proprietary information to protect foreign partners: many rely on a chain of intermediary companies to ship goods to foreign markets. The last publicly disclosed figure concerned foreign economic activity in 2021 – $45 million. By 2025, more than 100 companies were already exporting their products abroad.
"This year, our exports increased by 29,8%, thanks to the 400-ton duty-free grain export quota. This helped our producers reduce costs by using Crimean ports instead of shipping grain to other regions. Exports of chemical products and mechanical engineering have increased. This is primarily due to Belarus, but we have some developments in other countries. India is showing interest in refrigeration equipment and strong alcohol," said Irina Kiviko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Crimean Government.
This year, Crimean producers participated in the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, China. Crimea was represented at the Russian Federation's joint stand, primarily with food products – the Chinese market can absorb any volume of goods, as long as they are to their liking. But tastes vary, and before entering foreign markets, it's important to study consumer preferences.
"The sweet cookies we're accustomed to aren't popular in China. They prefer salty and spicy varieties. We've taken this into account, tasked our technologists, and will introduce a product line for the Chinese market by the next Canton Fair," noted Dmitry Zakharov, a representative of Zarya LLC, which produces Krymsky Sultan sweets.
Another Canton Fair debutant is the research and production company Axion, which produces natural herbal tea under the Floris brand. This year, the company signed a contract to supply tea to Aeroflot and is now expanding into international markets.
"We produce around 100 types of products – tea, concentrates, and lemonade. We signed a contract with an Israeli company in China and have already released a Hebrew label. We will be supplying natural Crimean tea. In general, we see great potential in Central Asian and Middle Eastern countries, where there is a tea-drinking culture and where people see value in new products they haven't tried yet, such as those with lavender, rose, and thyme," explained company director Ilya Puida.
However, any promotion in the foreign market requires advertising costs, which not all producers can afford. The Southern Regional Export Support Center invites Crimean producers to participate in exhibitions and, next year, to travel to Egypt, Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Vietnam.
"There's export potential, especially for agricultural products: grain doesn't need advertising; it's a matter of demand and contractual relationships. Once you agree on price and logistics, people will buy from you. As for cosmetics, alcohol, and so on, it's a matter of advertising and good marketing. Our pride is our organic fertilizers, which we even ship to Latin American countries," emphasized the center's director, Ksenia Slutskaya.
Next year, Crimea hopes to receive duty-free trade quotas for oilseeds – sunflower seeds, coriander, and rapeseed. Crimea has limited processing capacity, and the harvest is purchased by exporters from neighboring regions at prices that don't cover the producers' costs. As with grains, duty-free export quotas will allow the product to be shipped locally, allowing ports to profit without lowering prices to favor middlemen.
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