A complete guide to developing the CIS market in 2025: in-depth research on B2B exports, customer needs and local channels

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) consists of several countries with a total population of over 230 million. In recent years, the total annual import volume of the CIS market has reached about $200 billion, which shows the huge potential of B2B exports. For example, Russia, as the largest economy in the CIS, accounts for about 70% of the region's total economy and has an annual import volume of about $140 billion.

1. Market Overview

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region covers Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan and other countries, and is an important economic hub connecting Europe and Asia. Despite the impact of geopolitical risks (such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Western sanctions), the region still exhibits the following characteristics:

- Surge in demand for import substitution: Due to sanctions, the withdrawal of foreign capital has led to a widening supply gap in industrial equipment, building materials, and light industrial products, providing Chinese companies with opportunities to fill the market.

- E-commerce market explosion: Russia's e-commerce market will reach US$58 billion in 2024, and platforms such as Ozon and Wildberries will become a new blue ocean in cross-border e-commerce.

- Policy orientation: Russia's "Look East" strategy and the "Belt and Road" initiative have deepened China-Russia economic and trade cooperation. In 2024, the trade volume between China and Russia will exceed US$218 billion, with electromechanical, automobile, and household consumer goods as the main export categories.

II. Major Countries Covered and Development Potential

1. Russia:
- Economic status: As a core market of the CIS, trade with China will account for more than 70% of China's trade with the CIS in 2024, with strong demand for electromechanical products (38%) and auto parts (17%).
- Potential areas: industrial equipment, building materials, electronic products and cross-border e-commerce (low-priced goods are growing significantly in the sinking market).

2. Kazakhstan:
- Strategic fulcrum: As a key node of the “Belt and Road Initiative”, the demand for infrastructure and energy equipment is growing, and the China-Kazakhstan border trade is active.
- Challenge: Customer loyalty is low and trust needs to be established through localized services and long-term cooperation.

3. Uzbekistan:
- Emerging markets: Large population base (34 million), economic reforms drive import demand, building materials, home appliances, and daily necessities are key areas.

4. Belarus:
- Recovery opportunities: The economy is gradually recovering, and the demand for industrial equipment and low-voltage electrical appliances is picking up, but the price sensitivity is high.

3. Customer Demand and Popular Products

【Core Requirements】
- Prioritize cost performance: Affected by economic sanctions, customers are price sensitive, but must comply with local standards such as EAC certification.
- Localized services: Russian-speaking customer service, local payment (such as SPB, QIWI), and logistics optimization (China-Europe Express + overseas warehouses) are key.

【Hot Products 】

IV. The latest policies of CIS countries towards China

【Russia】
- RMB settlement: The proportion of RMB settlement in trade with China will rise to 34% in 2024, and companies will need to access local payment systems.
- Strengthening of EAC certification: The requirements for Customs Union Certification (EAC) are becoming stricter, and compliance documents need to be prepared in advance for customs clearance.

【Kazakhstan】
- Free Trade Agreement: China-Kazakhstan capacity cooperation projects continue to be implemented, and import tariff preferences for building materials and machinery and equipment are expanded.

【Policy Support Platform】
- Russian Export Center: Provides market analysis, partner matching and government subsidy application services.

5. Development of customer platform and website summary

6. Local channels and practical strategies

1. Offline exhibitions:
- Moscow International Industrial Fair (Innoprom): Focusing on mechanical manufacturing and automation equipment, held in March 2025.
- Russian International Building Materials Exhibition (MosBuild): an industry benchmark, suitable for building materials companies to participate in the exhibition.

2. Local agency cooperation:
- Find reputable agents through the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), sign long-term cooperation agreements, and overcome language and cultural barriers.

3. Logistics Optimization:
- China-Europe Express: The delivery time is increased to 12 days. It is recommended to set up overseas warehouses in Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk to reduce delivery costs.

VII. Successful Cases and Lessons Learned

【Successful Cases】
- Shenzhen companies are exploring the Russian market through Ozon: they take advantage of the platform's deposit-free entry policy, focus on low-priced electronic products and household items, and cooperate with FBP warehousing and distribution to achieve an average monthly growth of 30%.
- A building materials company targeted buyers through Tengdao customs data: analyzing Russian building materials import records and accurately developing 10 customers with annual purchases exceeding one million US dollars.

Lessons Learned
- Compliance risk: A company suffered a loss of more than US$500,000 due to cargo detention due to incomplete EAC certification, and needed to complete the certification in advance.
- Cultural differences: Ignoring holiday marketing (such as New Year and Victory Day) leads to poor promotional results, and it is necessary to hire a Russian-speaking team to optimize the strategy.

8. Conclusion
In 2025, the development of the CIS market needs to focus on the dual-wheel drive of "localization + digitalization":

1. Data-driven decision-making: Use customs data to identify target customers and analyze competitive product trends.

2. Omni-channel layout: Combine exhibitions, B2B platforms, and social media to reach customers, and adapt to local payment and logistics.

3. Long-term relationship maintenance: Build trust through industry associations and local agents to avoid short-term speculative behavior.

This in-depth study on B2B export to the CIS market provides comprehensive and targeted market information. By referring to the strategies in this article, foreign trade companies can improve their competitiveness in the CIS market and open up new foreign trade business prospects. Don't miss this opportunity to expand your business in the promising CIS market!