The value of exports to the country exceeded the value of imports by 1.5 billion between July and September, data shows

The EU recorded a positive trade balance with Russia of €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion) in the third quarter of 2025, marking the second time this has happened in a row, according to Eurostat data released on Thursday.

The development follows a sharp contraction in bilateral trade since 2022, after the EU imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia due to the Ukraine conflict. These restrictions primarily targeted energy exports but also included iron, steel, and coal, among other goods.

It is the first time the bloc has posted consecutive quarterly trade surpluses with Russia since Eurostat began compiling records in 2002. Data shows that EU exports to the country have fallen 61% and imports from Russia have plummeted 89% during this period. Total trade for the first nine months of 2025 decreased 12.9% year-on-year to €43.9 billion ($47.3 billion), with imports from Russia valued at €21.7 billion ($23.4 billion) and EU exports at €22.2 billion ($23.9 billion).

A breakdown of goods categories indicates that Russia's share of EU imports continued to decline across many sectors in the third quarter. In terms of the bloc's natural gas purchases, the country's share fell to 15.1%, down from 39% four years ago.

Despite this decrease, Russia remained the EU's second-largest gas supplier.

Since 2022, most EU countries have halted direct imports of Russian oil and gas, with the bloc planning to phase out Russian energy imports by the end of 2027, substituting much of its cheaper gas with more expensive American fuel.

The US share of EU gas imports surged to 56% from 24% in four years. In July, Brussels struck a deal with Washington pledging that the EU would replace Russian oil and gas with US energy.

The shift has come at a steep cost, leading to soaring energy prices and slowing economic growth. Russian State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin criticized the move, likening US liquefied natural gas prices to "Chanel perfume" and adding that the EU is "destroying its own economy."

Moscow's Foreign Ministry noted that the EU had lost around 3.8% of its combined GDP by 2024 due to its pivot away from Russian energy.

(RT.com)