Russian fur and leather exports rise 59.1% as sable prices strengthen
Russian exports of fur, leather raw materials and related products increased 59.1% year on year in January–July 2026, although their value remained only $2 million. Higher sable prices and recovering foreign demand supported exports, while limited domestic processing capacity helped lift imports by 20.1%.
Exports outpace Russia’s broader trade growth
Russian exports of leather raw materials, fur and products made from them increased 59.1% year on year in January–July 2026, Kommersant calculated from Rosstat’s August report on the country’s socioeconomic conditions. Imports in the same category rose 20.1%.
Despite the high growth rates, the trade values remained modest. Exports totaled $2 million and imports reached $8 million during the seven-month period. The category nevertheless expanded much faster than Russia’s overall merchandise trade: total exports rose 16.5% to $271.8 billion, while imports increased 15% to $192.8 billion.
Sable prices and Asian demand support shipments
Experts interviewed by Kommersant linked the export increase partly to recovering international demand for Russian fur and a gradual return of natural fur to fashion. Russia is a major supplier of costly wild fur, particularly sable, for which there is no direct market substitute, according to Albina Koryagina, business development partner at consultancy Neo. The European Union removed its import ban on the material during the summer after introducing it under its 21st package of sanctions against Russia.
Prices also contributed to the increase in reported trade values. The average auction price for a wild sable skin reached about $340 in March 2026, compared with $135 a year earlier, according to data from the Soyuzpushnina association cited by Kommersant. By September, the price had eased to $240 per skin.
Russia exports other wild fur, including marten, wild fox and squirrel. More than 80% of fur produced in the country is shipped to Asian markets, mainly China, Cambodia and Vietnam, according to the National Association of Fur Farmers. Farmed mink and Arctic fox are becoming less prominent in exports as Russian production declines.
Lower output exposes processing constraints
Russian production of fur skins totaled 107,000 pieces in May 2026, 138,000 in June and 80,240 in July, Neo data showed. That compares with average monthly output of roughly 200,000–290,000 pieces in 2023–2025. The figures point to a widening gap between strong demand for premium wild sable and the weaker supply base for farmed fur.
Russia also lacks sufficient capacity for high-quality dressing, dyeing and sewing of fur and leather goods. As a result, domestic factories and retailers import mainly dressed fur, tanned leather and finished products from China and Turkey. More expensive items are sourced from Greece and Italy. Domestic production of leather and leather goods grew only 4% year on year in January–August 2026.
Domestic buyers remain price-sensitive
Russian retailers increased summer imports as they prepared for the winter season, but demand for expensive natural-fur clothing remained restrained. The Snezhnaya Koroleva chain said customers were more likely to choose rabbit and fox fur products.
Consumers are also turning to resale channels. Avito reported that sales of second-hand fur coats rose 39% year on year in January–July 2026, while purchases of coats listed in new condition increased 59%. Artificial-fur coats grew faster: resale purchases rose 67%, and purchases of new items were 2.1 times higher. For producers and traders, the data show a divided market in which export demand favors scarce premium fur, while Russian mass-market consumers continue to prioritize price.