North–South Corridor as Iran’s Gateway to International Grain Trade: Russia’s Export Strategy to 2030

In the first six months of the current 2024-25 agricultural season (July-December), Russia exported 3.3 million tons of barley (compared to 4.7 million tons in the same period last year) and only 1.5 million tons of corn (compared to 2.9 million tons last year).

In the first six months of the current 2024-25 agricultural season (July-December), Russia exported 3.3 million tons of barley (compared to 4.7 million tons in the same period last year) and only 1.5 million tons of corn (compared to 2.9 million tons last year). Total corn exports this season may reach a record low in the past 14 years and range between 1.7 and 1.9 million tons. Barley exports in 2024-25 may fall to 3.4 million tons compared to 8.3 million tons in 2023-24, which would be the lowest since 2017.

In total, from July to December, Russia exported about 35 million tons of grain, only slightly less than last year’s record of 37.6 million tons, mainly wheat. Russia exported an unprecedented volume of wheat to Egypt (over 5 million tons), Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Morocco, Libya, etc. Thus, Russia remains one of the largest wheat exporters in the world, accounting for more than 20% of global wheat exports.

Currently, about 4.5 million tons of grain are transported through this corridor. It is expected that by 2030, up to 15 million tons of grain will be exported through this international route, of which 12 million tons will go to Iran. Iran is considered by many representatives of the Russian business community as a transport corridor for Russian grain exports to the Middle East and India. The total transport capacity of the “North-South” corridor is expected to reach 30 million tons by that time.