The emergence of the Russian market into a major player in UK and EU trade, both import and export, has seen a boom in efforts to establish a business foothold on Russian soil, to benefit from the burgeoning trade partnerships between Russia and the rest of the world.
Like any, the Russian market comes with its own challenges.
Finding trusted partners, making the right contacts, building strong reliable relationships with distributors and agents, creating distribution networks and contending with the language barrier. All crucial parts of forming a successful overseas business strategy, and all can be even more difficult to achieve whilst undergoing a clash of cultures. Awareness of the sometimes extreme cultural differences, and accepting the Russian way of doing certain things, is vital to establishing business connections in Russia.
Russia’s business environment doesn’t always follow the ‘classic European’ model – aspects of business can be more complicated and take a more time than you are used to and might expect, especially if your are stabbing in the dark. The necessity of having knowledge and expertise on board of how things are done is obvious. Thanks to decades of logistical experience all over the world CG Conex delivers expertise and established contacts and partners to help your business make inroads into the tricky but ultimately extremely lucrative Russian market.
Why is the Russian market so important?
- Russian trade partnership with the European Union reached a record €267.5 billion in 2012
- Russia 14th on list of UK’s main trading partners for exports. 16th for imports (according to HM Revenue and Customs figures for 2013)
- In the decade between 2001-11 UK importing of Russian goods and services rose by over 270%, while exports rose by 430%
- Russia the second biggest export destination, outside of the EU, for UK-manufactured cars – accounting for 9.5% of all vehicle exports
- UK supplies business and financial services worth almost £1.7bn to Russia