The volume of fresh grapes imported by Russia has slightly increased in the first seven months of 2018, as reported by EastFruit analysts, citing data from the International Trade Center (ITC).
Thus, the volume imported in January-July 2018 reached 105 thousand tons, which is the highest figure for this period since 2014 and is 2.4% higher than the volume recorded in the same months of 2017.
The key suppliers of fresh grapes to Russia during this period were India, Chile and Turkey. India supplied about a quarter of the total volume of fresh grapes imported by Russia in the first seven months of 2018, and the shares of Chile and Turkey were 16% and 17%, respectively.
In any case, it is worth noting that the majority of fresh grape imports into Russia take place towards the end of the year. In the first seven months, only about a third of the annual supply volume is imported. Therefore, it is still too early to judge what the general prospects for this year’s entire grape import season will be. However, given the results so far, the final volume is likely to be at least as good as last year’s. The return of Turkish grapes in the Russian market in June 2017 is mostly to thank for this.
It is worth recalling that before the introduction of the ban on imports (in January 2016), Turkey was a key supplier of fresh grapes to Russia and exported about half of the total volume purchased annually by Russian importers. To be precise, Turkey’s share of Russian grape imports in 2014 and 2015 stood at 48% and 51%, respectively.