Uncertainty prompted by U.S. policy spurs redistribution of global trade flows - Russian deputy PM

BRASILIA. Feb 4 (Interfax) - The growing uncertainty due to the U.S.' policy, including that in the trade sector, has led to a more intensive redistribution of global trade flows, which is seen from preliminary statistics of foreign economic activities of states, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said.

Asked how current U.S. trade and geopolitical moves might affect the global economy's dynamics and structure, Overchuk said, "As for the principles of interaction [between countries in the economic sector], we see they are already changing, because countries above all seek market certainty. And if factors such as sudden tariff changes arise, which could significantly impact the accessibility of a particular market, and here we are talking in the first place about the largest global market, the United States of America, then countries certainly try to protect themselves from such actions. And we are already seeing a redistribution of goods and services to new markets."

"We're closely monitoring these trends, as they also affect the Eurasian Economic Union's common market. We understand that sellers of goods currently experiencing problems accessing the American market are trying to find other markets where they can sell them. This is happening today, and it's already quite evident from the 2025 statistics that are starting to come in," he said.

Russia is analyzing how these changes might affect it and its partners, Overchuk said. "We will also take proper measures, both tariff and non-tariff ones, to protect our own producers, on the one hand, and create conditions for free trade by concluding relevant agreements, on the other," he said.