In 2000, the volume of international trade set a record value of $6.2 trillion, up 12 percent compared to 1999.

In Asia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, volume of foreign trade increased by more than 15 percent. Not being aloof from global processes, Russia set a post-Soviet era record in its export volume in 2000: $103 billion, 43.1 percent up from the corresponding 1999 figure. Russia's foreign-trade balance was positive – $69.1 billion, up $26.5 billion from the 1999 figure. In the last year Russia climbed from No. 20 to No. 17 in international ratings in terms of export volume.

Through impressive in themselves, these results do not indicate that Russia's economy has fully recovered. The fact is that Russia is still playing the unenviable role of a "raw-material adjunct" of the world's industrially developed countries. The raw-materials-producing sector remains the backbone of Russia's economy, and although it employs only 1.5 percent of the country's able-bodied people, it provides for 6 percent of the its GDP and more than 50 percent of its exports.

Moreover, the sector absorbs more than 20 percent of the total of investments in the national economy and more than 60 percent of investments in the country's industries. A sizable bent toward the raw-materials-producing sector causes Russia's development to be strongly dependent on world market prices for raw materials. It was only because the world prices for oil and petrochemicals were high that Russia's exports recorded that booming increase in 2000.

The increase in Russian exports of combustible materials in 2000 was 71 percent accounted-for by the increase in the prices and only 5 percent by increase in the actual volumes of exported material. The average price of petrochemicals exported from Russia increased from $95.8 to $174 per metric ton.

These factors have determined the structure of Russia's exports in general and that of the country's top 100 exporters in particular.

At the initiative of the DHL International delivery service, the Expert RA rating agency made a rating of Russia's top 100 enterprises-exporters in terms of export volumes expressed in dollars in the year 2000. These top 100 enterprises accounted for some 60 percent of the country's total exports, or more than $60 billion. Taking into account that the total number of enterprises that exported goods from Russia in the last year was above 30,000, it turns out that 0.3 percent of the exporters accounted for more than 50 percent of the total volume of exports.

These top 100 enterprises-exporters tend to consolidate their positions in the sphere of foreign trade. The volume of their exports in the year 2000 exceeded the corresponding 1999 figure by 59 percent.

Broken down by industry, the structure of the top 100 enterprises' exports seems to correlate with that of the country's overall structure of exports, i.e., leading positions belong to one and the same industries. This is not surprising because these industries represent Russia's traditional directions of export.

At the same time, there are considerable differences in the percentages. Thus, the share of the oil and gas sector in the export revenues of the top 100 enterprises is more than 70 percent, while the corresponding figure for the country's overall exports is 54 percent. The reason is simple: The oil and gas sector basically consists of gigantic holdings almost all of which appear on the top of the rating list.

It is noteworthy that the leader of the sector and of the whole rating, Gazprom, with last year's exports equaling $15.9 billion, accounted both for 26.5 percent of exports by the top 100 enterprises and more than 15 percent of the country's overall exports in the last year.

The world largest gas company, it exports natural gas to 21 countries, primarily to Eastern and Western Europe.

Gazprom does not appear willing to stop at that: This year the gas colossus plans to export 135 billion cubic meters of natural gas to countries outside of the former Soviet Union, i.e., up 4.6 percent from the corresponding figure from last year. This target is set in the company's annual report for the year 2000. As regards the CIS countries and the Baltic States, Gazprom plans to export 53.3 billion cubic meters of natural gas there this year (independent suppliers included) which will be nearly 10 billion cubic meters above the corresponding figure of 43.4 billion cubic meters last year.

This year's gas production target is set at 523 billion cubic meters, 33.1 billion cubic meters of which Gazprom plans to process at its own gas processing facilities.

In addition to that, in this year Gazprom plans to produce 8,865,000 tons of gas condensate and 670,000 tons of oil.

As for metals and metalware, their proportions in the exports of top 100 exporters and the country's overall exports show a smaller difference: 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively.

Like the oil and gas sector, the metallurgical industry, the country's No. 2 source of export revenues, basically consists of jumbo conglomerates – industrial groups embracing the full cycle from the mining of ores and coal to the manufacture of final products. The biggest metallurgical holdings also appear on the list of the country's top 100 exporters in 2000.

Besides, the top 100 list includes a number of multi-industry holdings, such as the MDM Group and Metalloinvest, which have made it into the rating only thanks to their metallurgical branches. Hence, we placed them in the "metals" category.

At the same time, the companies and holdings that appear among the top 100 represent only the tip of the iceberg of Russian metal exports. The iceberg's base, which is less conspicuous and stays beyond the rating list, is comprised primarily of numerous trading companies.

It is precisely thanks to this "base of the iceberg" that the difference between the proportions of metals in the exports of the top 100 and the country's overall total is less than that for oil and gas.

The share of small traders in metal exports varies in a wide range: from 1 percent for rolled steel to more than 80 percent for rails. At the same time, small traders are virtually uninvolved in exporting oil and gas.

Export volumes of the 48 enterprises representing seven other industries in the top 100 list are minor, and, all combined, are only a little higher than 10 percent of the total volume of exports of the top 100.

This does not mean Russia has no alternative to being a raw-materials supplier. Russia's high-tech products are highly valued in the world and some do not have foreign rivals.

These include developments in the spheres of military technologies and equipment, aviation, aerospace and the nuclear power industry.

In order for Russia not to lose its existing position as an exporter and to be able to stand up to competition with foreign suppliers in the battles for new markets, the government should render assistance to domestic goods producers.

Results will not be long in coming. It is no coincidence that all the high-tech industries mentioned above appear on the year 2000 list of top 100 exporters.

Russia's top 100 exporters (in terms of export volume in the year 2000)2000Company (enterprise)IndustryExport volume for the year ($ million)200019991Gazprom*Oil and gas industry15933,110409,42Lukoil*Oil and gas industry5713,82931,03YUKOS*Oil and gas industry5247,52548,24Tyumen Oil Company*Oil and gas industry3477,51236,35TatneftOil and gas industry2629,5953,46Norilsk Nickel*Non-ferrous metallurgy2246,91835,57Russkiy Aluminiy*Non-ferrous metallurgy2161,62451,18Surgutneftegaz*Oil and gas industry1700,5750,69Sibneft*Oil and gas industry1699,9950,110Rosneft*Oil and gas industry1294,5752,611SeverstalFerrous metallurgy1067,1875,512Slavneft*Oil and gas industry1018,1480,113Alrosa (Russia's Diamonds - Sakha)Non-ferrous metallurgy877,4730,314Novolipetsk Metallurgical CombineFerrous metallurgy866,0619,015Bashneft*Oil and gas industry858,7639,916Magnitogorsk Metallurgical CombineFerrous metallurgy849,2679,017ONACO*Oil and gas industry681,6413,518Sidanko*Oil and gas industry662,3331,719Itera*Oil and gas industry657,11252,520TVEL*Engineering571,0362,021Moscow Oil Company*Oil and gas industry529,4-22SUAL (Siberia-Urals Aluminum Company)*Non-ferrous metallurgy506,4506,123Evrazholding*Non-ferrous metallurgy470,8264,324Bashneftekhim*Chemical and petrochemical industry442,8427,725Uralskaya GMK*Non-ferrous metallurgy424,3298,726 NizhnekamskneftekhimChemical and petrochemical industry415,8225,427Antey Concern*Engineering403,4236,028Ilim Pulp Enterprise*Wood, timber and pulp industry340,0250,029AvtoVAZEngineering335,7155,130Metalloinvest*Ferrous metallurgy257,6188,331Akron*Chemical and petrochemical industry222,2229,232Oskol Electrometallurgical CombineFerrous metallurgy213,1179,733Russia's Unified Energy Systems*Electrical power212,3185,734Volgograd AluminumNon-ferrous metallurgy189,9174,635SalavatnefteorgsintezChemical and petrochemical industry180,293,636Sibur*Chemical and petrochemical industry179,30,237Polyarnoye SiyaniyeOil and gas industry169,128,838AmmophosChemical and petrochemical industry168,1196,739Lebedinsky GOKFerrous metallurgy166,631,640TolyattiazotChemical and petrochemical industry165,881,941AviastarEngineering155,267,242VSMPO (Verkhnesaldinsk Metallurgical Conglomerate)*Non-ferrous metallurgy155,0131,943VolgaWood, timber and pulp industry151,6149,144KristallEngineering141,2181,545YakutugolCoal Industry140,4130,246KondopogaWood, timber and pulp industry137,3113,947Interkhimprom*Chemical and petrochemical industry125,651,948ArkhbumWood, timber and pulp industry113,573,149Syktyvkar LPKWood, timber and pulp industry110,076,650KuibyshevazotChemical and petrochemical industry102,666,751Chelyabinsk Metallurgical Combine (Mechel)Ferrous metallurgy100,0120,052Silovye Mashiny*Engineering94,5-53Kazan Helicopter PlantEngineering91,979,354Volgopromkhim*Chemical and petrochemical industry91,839,655AzotChemical and petrochemical industry91,040,056Nosta (Orsk-Khalilovsk Metallurgical Combine)Ferrous metallurgy88,9103,357Nevinnomyss AzotChemical and petrochemical industry88,331,758SolikamskbumpromWood, timber and pulp industry86,472,759MDM Group*Ferrous metallurgy85,750,660Nadvoitsk Aluminum PlantNon-ferrous metallurgy77,772,261RKK Energiya Engineering67,516,162UralkaliyChemical and petrochemical industry63,861,363Chelyabinsk Electrolyte Zinc PlantNon-ferrous metallurgy63,546,864Severnaya NeftOil and gas industry63,236,965Segezh Paper and Pulp CombineWood, timber and pulp industry63,212,866ElectrozincNon-ferrous metallurgy61,872,067Vtortsvetmet of Sukhoi Log Non-ferrous metallurgy60,059,568Voskresensk Mineral FertilizersChemical and petrochemical industry54,180,969VIZ-StalFerrous metallurgy52,517,970Baikal Paper and Pulp CombineWood, timber and pulp industry52,428,871Norsi-OilOil and gas industry50,939,572Novoyenisei Wood & Chemistry CombineWood, timber and pulp industry49,939,873Taganrog Metallurgical PlantFerrous metallurgy48,040,674Vanadium-TulachermetFerrous metallurgy47,947,775Organicheskiy SintezChemical and petrochemical industry46,839,276AmurmetallFerrous metallurgy45,426,977ShchyokinoazotChemical and petrochemical industry45,331,278Solikamsk Magnesium PlantNon-ferrous metallurgy44,348,779KaustikChemical and petrochemical industry43,813,580UfaleinickelNon-ferrous metallurgy43,328,881Uralmash-Izhora Machine Building Group*Engineering41,031,082Kyshtym Copper-Electrolyte PlantNon-ferrous metallurgy40,216,683Ust-Ilim Wood & Timber PlantWood, timber and pulp industry38,739,484UfakhimpromChemical and petrochemical industry35,727,885Angarsk Polymer PlantChemical and petrochemical industry35,619,286IzhstalFerrous metallurgy34,417,487Volzhsk OrgsintezChemical and petrochemical industry30,126,188Novotroitsk Chromium Compounds PlantNon-ferrous metallurgy30,122,089Ulan-Ude Aviation PlantEngineering29,016,590Stupino Metallurgical CompanyNon-ferrous metallurgy27,3_/_91Rybinsk MotorsEngineering26,825,192BalakovorezinotekhnikaChemical and petrochemical industry26,714,893MarsFood industry26,719,794Solombaly Wood & Timber CombineWood, timber and pulp industry26,422,695Volkhov AluminumNon-ferrous metallurgy26,13,796NPO MashinostroyeniyeEngineering24,416,797BashagrokhimChemical and petrochemical industry23,86,798Chelyabinsk Electrometallurgical CombineFerrous metallurgy23,8_/_99PO RezhnickelNon-ferrous metallurgy23,6_/_100Podolsk Non-ferrous Metals PlantNon-ferrous metallurgy22,95,7 Total 62095,537726,6Expert-Ra
* For holding companies presented herein are composite figures for all subsidiaries and branches

Export growth rate - top 20NoNo in the Top 100 listCompany (enterprise)Relative growth of exports (%)136Sibur*74608,33295Volkhov Aluminum599,16337Polyarnoye Siyaniye486,47439Lebedinsk GOK426,99565Segezh Paper and Pulp Combine392,44661RKK Energiya319,247100Podolsk Non-ferrous metals plant301,65897Bashagrokhim253,46979Kaustik223,741069VIZ-Stal193,52114Tyumen Oil Company*181,271257Nevinnomyss Azot178,84135Tatneft175,801447Interkhimprom*142,171582Kyshtym Copper-Electrolyte Plant141,811654Volgopromkhim*131,681741Aviastar 131,011855Azot127,50198Surgutneftegaz*126,562029AvtoVAZ116,46Expert-Ra

Export consigments - top 20No.No. in the Top 100 listCompany (enterprise)Number of export consignments in 2000114Novolipetsk Metallurgical Combine18074211Severstal13916343Volga931642Lukoil*8912528Ilim Pulp Enterprise*8708623Evrazholding*7815746Kondopoga7230826Nizhnekamskneftekhim6364916Magnitogorsk Metallurgical Combine58461036Sibur*52581129AvtoVAZ50051225Uralskaya GMK*3873137Russkiy Aluminiy*37631422SUAL (Siberia-Urals Aluminum Company)*33821549Syktyvkar LPK30801630Metalloinvest*2771173YUKOS*2755181Gazprom*26121931Akron*24282042VSMPO (Verkhnesaldinsk Metallurgical Conglomerate)*1937Expert-Ra

The annual Exporter of the Year 2000 rating is prepared by Expert-Ra rating agency on the initiative of DHL, an international express air delivery service. For more information see www.raexpert.ru
* For holding companies presented herein are composite figures for all subsidiaries and branches