Economy

Diamonds presented by producer Alrosa in Moscow in February 2019.
G-7 in Japan

EU says 'Russian diamonds are not forever' in sanctions push at G-7

G-7 trade restriction could shrink source of funding for Russia's war in Ukraine

19 May 2023
An oil tanker and bulk carrier are seen near the Russian port of Nakhodka in December.
International relations

Pakistan eyes economic relief from Russian oil imports due in May

Delicate diplomacy, refining capacity and forex payments pose challenges

27 April 2023
A crude oil tanker near the port city of Nakhodka, Russia. India imported more than 6 million tonnes of Russian oil in March.
Commodities

India's dependence on Russian oil soars to 30%

Shift spurred by discounted prices stemming from Western sanctions

23 April 2023
The challenge for Hong Kong going forward is to maintain its ease of doing business without compromising its reputation as a responsible trading partner.
Business Spotlight

How business-friendly Hong Kong became a hub of Russian chip trade

Ease of setting up companies makes dodging sanctions easier, experts say

21 April 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in September: Russia surged from India's 21st largest source of imports to its fourth in April-December 2022.
Trade

Russia aims to widen trade with India as energy ties boom

Moscow to send delegation in April but geopolitics and other obstacles loom

3 April 2023
A car is filled with diesel fuel at a Shell petrol station in Berlin, Germany. Diesel accounts for half of the demand for refined petroleum products in the European Union.
Commodities

European diesel futures down 55% as Asian imports ease supply pinch

Concerns rise that Russian oil may be refined in Asia and exported to EU

28 March 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a signing ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow. 
International relations

Xi, Putin signal unity against U.S. in joint statement

China urges peace talks in Ukraine, Moscow backs Beijing on Taiwan

22 March 2023
Employees assemble Moskvich vehicles at a plant formerly operated by Renault in Moscow.
Ukraine war

Chinese cars, phones gain ground in Russia's sanctions-hit economy

3 Chinese auto brands grab 16% of shrinking market as global carmakers exit

28 February 2023
A sign in Lviv urges Ukrainians to sign up for the armed forces. "Ukraine needs you now!" it says. (Photo by Takeshi Kumon)
Ukraine war

Hope for Ukrainian victory burns strong in Lviv, one year on

Western hub bustles with activity despite shadow of war

22 February 2023
The U.S. imported far less Russian crude oil in 2022, with shipments down 90%. China's imports of Russian crude, by contrast, rose 30%, while India's surged seventeenfold over the same period.
Commodities

Commodity prices dip in year since Russia's Ukraine invasion

Prices down from prewar level for 14 of 19 items in widely tracked index

21 February 2023
An oil refinery in Mumbai: India has become a top buyer of bargain crude from Russia.
Trade

India's Russian imports soar 400% as U.S. offers little resistance

China seen behind Washington's soft touch; New Delhi optimistic on rupee trade

17 February 2023
The transfer of Russia's reserve assets into yuan does not eliminate geopolitical risk. 
Opinion

Russia's embrace of yuan cannot bring financial stability

Reliance on the Chinese currency brings new risks and complications

14 February 2023
Acting Afghan Mines and Petroleum Minister Shahabuddin Delawar, left, exchanges documents with a CAPEIC representative at the oil extraction deal's signing ceremony in Kabul on Jan. 5.
International relations

Taliban build ties to U.S. rivals with new China oil deal

Isolated government taps resource riches to connect with outside world

19 January 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi discussed the proposed trade corridor in July 2022.
International relations

Russia and Iran eye trade route with India to bypass sanctions

Project, two decades in the making, would bypass Europe as tensions mount

11 January 2023
From currencies to climate change, Nikkei Asia readers have predicted what 2023 has in store for Asia. 
The Big Story

Your predictions for Asia in 2023

Taiwan, Twitter and tanks: We asked our readers what's on the cards this year for geopolitics, business and more

4 January 2023
A shuttered fertilizer store in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, on April 25: Carving out targeted exceptions to Western sanctions to facilitate Russian fertilizer exports would support increased food production.
Opinion

Russia war sanctions should not deprive Asia of fertilizer

Expansion of domestic grain production depends on secure access to inputs

6 December 2022
Heavily dependent on imports for their wheat supply, many Asian countries are facing growing risks of food security in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Datawatch

Growing appetite for wheat exposes Asia's soft underbelly

Consumption up 30% in 10 years but Ukraine war threatens food security

20 November 2022
Russia has pulled out of a U.N.-brokered deal that ensured safe passage for ships carrying grain from Ukraine.
Ukraine war

Global food crisis set to deepen as Russia pulls out of grain deal

Black Sea area is key supplier of wheat and corn to Asia, other regions

1 November 2022
A vessel leaves the Orlan oil platform at Sakhalin-1's offshore rig: Tokyo's misguided policy is set to become markedly worse.
Opinion

Japan should prioritize Ukraine ahead of oil supply diversification

Recommitting to Sakhalin-1 project would in effect help finance Russia's war

31 October 2022
A company displays lumber in Vietnam, whose wood products industry is grappling with risks ranging from the Ukraine war to fake forest certificates and U.S. trade probes. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Supply Chain

Vietnam's wood trade under pressure from logging, Ukraine war

Murky origins plague furniture sector coming down from COVID-fueled buying spree

28 October 2022
Ukrainian rescuers at a building damaged by Russian shelling in Zaporizhzhia on Oct. 6. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Sept. 15 to Oct. 7: Russia strikes housing in Zaporizhzhia

Biden says nuclear 'Armageddon' risk highest since Cuban crisis; two Russians sail to Alaska, seek asylum

7 October 2022
Many OPEC members rely heavily on revenue from oil exports.
Commodities

Line in the sand: OPEC+ defends $80 oil price floor with output cut

Anticipated drop in demand puts budgets at risk for Saudi Arabia and UAE

6 October 2022
The U.S. had pushed OPEC not to proceed with the cuts, arguing that fundamentals don't support them, a source familiar with the matter said.
Commodities

OPEC+ agrees to cut output 2m barrels a day despite U.S. pressure

Saudi Arabia and other group members have said they seek to prevent volatility

6 October 2022
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poses for a photo with soldiers after attending a national flag-raising ceremony in Izium, Ukraine on Sept. 14.
Ukraine war: Free to read

Ukraine from Aug. 22 to Sept. 15: Zelenskyy in car accident, no serious injuries

U.N. aims to facilitate Russian fertilizer shipments; India may start trade with Russia in rupees

15 September 2022
Oil tanks at a petroleum depot in the port of Vladivostok, Russia. Myanmar starts importing Russian fuel oil as early as September.
Ukraine war

Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar deepen Russia ties to blunt economic woes

Southeast Asia nations seen giving Moscow breathing room on sanctions

6 September 2022