This document summarizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade and remittances in Eurasia based on a joint policy research by ECFS and IFPRI. It finds that: 1) National economies saw declines in economic activity, higher unemployment and poverty, and deterioration of food security due to the pandemic. 2) Agri-food trade within the region continued to grow from January to July 2020, though trade values and remittances from Russia to Central Asian countries decreased. 3) Remittances, which make up large shares of GDP for countries like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, declined more when measured in dollars due to currency depreciation, negatively impacting household

1. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on trade
and remittances in Eurasia
(joint ECFS-IFPRI policy research)
Roman Romashkin
Deputy Director of ECFS

2. Outline
• National economies and food systems
• Household welfare and food security
• Agri-food trade
• Remittances from Russia to Central Asian countries
• Food trade policy tracking
2

3. COVID-19 situation in Russia and Central Asia
Total cumulative Per 1 mln population
Confirmed
cases
Deaths Confirmed
cases
Deaths
Russia 2 269 316 39 527 15 550 271
Kyrgyzstan 72 427 1 266 11 101 194
Kazakhstan 172 969 2 417 9 211 129
Uzbekistan 73 014 609 2 181 18
Tajikistan 12 118 86 1 270 9
Global 62 195 274 1 453 355
Source: World Health Organization [Accessed: 30 Nov. 2020]
Russia ranks fourth in the number of
confirmed cases after the US, India and Brazil
3

4. COVID-19 impact on national economies and food systems
 Decline in economic activity and demand for services (transport, tourism,
HoReCa) and energy goods
 Drop in energy goods prices and depreciation of national currencies
 Growth of unemployment and poverty
 Deterioration of food and nutrition security
 Export restrictions and disruptions of value chains
 Restriction of labor migration
 Distant working and moving from urban to rural residency
 Developing digital technologies and e-commerce
4

5. COVID-19 impact on main economic indicators of Russia and CA countries
 Kyrgyzstan is the most vulnerable to the pandemic
 Economic declines and national currencies devaluations
impact negatively on trade values and remittances
 Primary agriculture has not been affected much
Q2 /Q1 2020, %
Russia 9,4
Uzbekistan 5,5
Tajikistan 5,2
Kyrgyzstan 8,4
5

6. Agri-food trade values for January-July in 2019 and 2020:
intra-regional trade continues to grow
6
2%
19%
19%
3%
2% 19%
2%
19% 26%
6%
1%
26%
13%
3%
24%
1%
51% 12%
12%
4%
13%
25% 7%
38%

7. Remittances from Russia to Central Asian Countries, 2010-2019
Uzbekistan 8
Tajikistan 32
Kyrgyzstan 23
Remittance share in GDP,
2019 (%)
Ex Rate 2013 31,82 Rub/$
Ex Rate 2014 37,97 Rub/$
Ex Rate 2015 60,66 Rub/$
Ex Rate 2019 64,73 Rub/$
60% Ruble depreciation
compared to 201419% Ruble depreciation
compared to 2013
 Compared to 2013, in 2019
Russian ruble depretiated by
103%, while valued in $
remittances to Uzbekistan
reduced by 30%, to Tajikistan – by
38%, to Kyrgyzstan – by 9%.
 Valued in Rubles, remittances
to Uzbekistan increased by 43%,
to Tajikistan – by 26%,
to Kyrgyzstan – by 85%.
 Increasing residents shares in
remittances
7

8. COVID-19 impact on remittances from Russia to Central Asian Countries
13%
39% 24%
12% Ruble devaluation in Q2 2020
compared to Q2 2019
7%
35% 19%
60% Ruble devaluation
compared to 201446%
42%
33%
13%
7%
7%
 Current percentage reduction of
dollar remittances to Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan is comparable to
remittance decline in 2015
 Remittances to Uzbekistan is more
resilient now compared to the
situation of 2015
 Both residents and non-residents
remittances to Tajikistan are
vulnerable
 Non-residents remittances to
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are the
most vulnerable compared to
residents remittances
 The current crisis has led to a
significant reduction in ruble-
valued remittances to Tajikistan
and Kyrgyzstan
 A decline in remittances and
export values could increase
poverty, deteriorate current
account balances and lead to
further devaluation of national
currencies in CA countries
Amid devaluation of national
currencies and decreasing consumer
demand, it is important to ensure
social safety nets for vulnerable
population groups and provide the
competitiveness of agricultural
production 8

9. Thank you for attention!