Russian exports in 2015 worth $56 bln classified, including $2 bln to Ukraine

Thus, more than 16% of last year's exports from Russia, the share largest since 2012, are a state secret. Total exports in 2015 amounted to $343.4 billion, which is down 31% compared to nearly $500 billion in the previous year. But the "secret" exports fell twice slower.

The secret code exports include "dual-use goods, defense industry products, aviation industry, and natural gas, aimed at protecting information in order to ensure economic security," said a representative of ITC. According to the decree of the Russian president, the list of information classified as state secrets includes data on Russian exports and imports of arms and military equipment and dual-use goods if their disclosure or premature dissemination "may cause damage to national security."

Read alsoRussia's agriculture on the verge of collapse as state support faltersRussia supplied most of classified goods to Germany ($9.45 billion in 2015), Turkey ($7.63 billion) which is subject of Russia’s sanctions, and Italy ($6.25 billion). More than a third of all Russian supplies to Germany and Turkey (37% and 39%) are classified. Belarus last year received products under the secret code worth $2.78 billion, and Ukraine – $2.14 billion. However, “secret" exports to all these countries decreased by 10.2%-62.6%.

Imports into Russia under the secret codes in 2015 amounted to $4.86 billion, which is 44% less than in 2014 ($8.75 billion). Above all, Russia classified shipments from the United States ($2.8 billion), followed by Norway ($295 million), France ($255 million), and Canada ($216 million).

The major article of U.S. exports to Russia is aerial and space vehicles and their components (almost $2 billion in 2015) and nuclear reactors, boilers and equipment ($1.4 billion), according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. In general, one-fifth of the bilateral turnover between Russia and the United States is classified by the FCS, according to ITC.