
Russia Proposes Boosting High-Value Exports to ASEAN
President Vladimir Putin suggests Russia will increase exports of high-value products like fertilizers and medicines to ASEAN, alongside continued food and energy supplies.

President Vladimir Putin suggests Russia will increase exports of high-value products like fertilizers and medicines to ASEAN, alongside continued food and energy supplies.

France's National Assembly has adopted a bill to drastically reduce cadmium levels in phosphate fertilizers. The measure aims to limit population exposure to this toxic heavy metal, primarily through food consumption, and requires adaptation from the agricultural sector.

Russia is prepared to boost its mineral fertilizer exports to Brazil this year, according to Andrey Guryev, President of the Russian Fertilizer Producers Association. Brazil is currently Russia's largest fertilizer customer, with Russian products making up one-third of the Brazilian market.

French lawmakers are proposing a law to limit cadmium exposure, as nearly half the adult population exceeds reference toxicological values. The high exposure is linked to food, particularly through phosphate fertilizers imported from Morocco, which have naturally high cadmium levels. France also benefits from a derogation allowing higher cadmium limits in fertilizers than the EU standard.

Russian Ambassador to Brazil Alexey Labetsky announced that trade turnover between Russia and Brazil has reached $10.5 billion, making Brazil Russia's main trading partner in Latin America. The trade is primarily based on Russian fertilizers and diesel fuel, and Brazilian agricultural products like meat.

Russia has shipped 678 tons of fertilizers to Armenia via transit through Azerbaijan, the second such shipment this month. Last Sunday, 536 tons were sent along the same route after Azerbaijan lifted its transit ban at the end of October last year.

Russia sent 20,000 metric tons of mineral fertilizers to Niger as humanitarian aid. The official handover ceremony took place on April 28 in Niamey, the capital of Niger. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Russia intends to continue providing humanitarian support to the friendly Republic of Niger.

Russian Special Presidential Envoy on Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation Kirill Dmitriev has predicted a worsening crisis trajectory for European Union countries and the United Kingdom, forecasting seven waves of what he termed a crisis tsunami. According to Dmitriev's post on X social media, EU/UK countries may face disruptions in jet fuel, oil, gas, and fertilizers as early as May, with risks extending to the food sector and industry in summer months. He suggested the crisis could affect the broader economy in the second half of the year and subsequently develop into social and political tensions, with a possible awakening and reset occurring no earlier than 2027.

India will import 8.3 million metric tons of fertilizers from global markets despite price hikes caused by the Middle East conflict. The imports include 6.4 million tons of urea and 1.9 million tons of other fertilizers, with most supplies expected to transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Domestic fertilizer plants have already reduced production to 65% in March due to disrupted liquefied natural gas supplies.

According to preliminary estimates, Russia exported 9.6 mln tons of mineral fertilizers worth $3.6 bln in the first quarter of 2026