Ruble settlements in Russian foreign trade hit record high of 54% in April - Central Bank

MOSCOW. June 16 (Interfax) - Rubles were used to pay for a record 56.2% of Russian imports in April 2025, the previous high being 53.7% in March 2025, the Central Bank of Russia said in preliminary data on the currency mix of settlements for goods and services in foreign trade, posted on its website.

Settlements for imported goods in the currencies of unfriendly states fell to a new low of 15.4% in April, the previous low being 16.1% in December 2024.

Settlements in the currencies of friendly states fell to the low of 28.3% seen in January 2025.

Ruble settlements for imports with partners from Asia rose above half for the first time, to 51.9%, with American countries the share was 60.2%, exceeding the previous record of 53.6% set in March, and with Europe it was 67.6%, also exceeding the March record of 64.9%. For imports from African countries, the share of ruble payments was 68.0% in April, the record high being 72.0% in February.

Payments in the currencies of unfriendly countries fell to a record low of 30.6% for imports from Europe, the previous low being 32.7% in March 32.7%, while from the Americas it was 36.7%, the previous low being 40.9% in March. The share of toxic currencies in settlements for imports from Asian countries in April was 9.4%, the all-time low being 8.7% in December 2024.

Ruble payments for Russian exports increased to a record 52.3% in April - more than half the value of exports was paid in rubles for the first time.

Russian export revenue in the currencies of unfriendly states fell to a new low of 14.1% in April, the previous low being 15.7% in June 2024. The other 33.6% was in the currencies of friendly states.

April saw new highs in ruble receipts from partners in Asia - 48.9%, the Americas - 55.6% and Africa - 98.3%. Rubles paid for 62.8% of exports to Europe, short of the 67.9% high achieved in August 2024.

New lows were recorded for settlements in the currencies of unfriendly countries for exports to Asia - 12.2% and to the Americas - 42.35%, and the December low of 1.0% for exports to Africa was repeated.

The share of ruble payments in total foreign trade settlements rose to a record 54.0% in April, above the previous high of 51.5% in March, when more than half of settlements were in rubles for the first time.

Overall foreign trade settlements in the currencies of unfriendly states fell to a new low of 14.6% in April and in other currencies to a new low of 31.3%.

The surplus of settlements in unfriendly currencies fell to $0.9 billion in April, its lowest since October 2024, as a result of the change in the structure and volume of foreign trade payments.