Russia's chocolate exports to Kazakhstan significantly rose to $118.3 million during the first half of 2025.

Russia's chocolate market has seen significant changes in the first half of 2025, with increased imports, growing production, and price adjustments.

According to recent data, Kazakhstan has emerged as the top buyer of Russian chocolate, importing a total of 313,700 tons worth over $287 million. This represents a 32% increase compared to the same period last year. Notably, white chocolate imports from Russia to Kazakhstan totaled 11,100 tons, worth $38.2 million, marking a 10% year-on-year increase.

Uzbekistan and Georgia are also among the top importers, purchasing $21.4 million and $8 million worth of Russian chocolate from Kazakhstan, respectively. Azerbaijan follows closely, with purchases worth $23.4 million. Kyrgyzstan is not far behind, buying $14.7 million worth of Russian chocolate from Kazakhstan.

The rise in Russian chocolate imports has been accompanied by a growth in domestic production. Russia entered the top 15 global exporters of chocolate, shipping products worth over $500 million. In 2024, the country's chocolate production grew by 9.2%.

However, the market has not been without its challenges. X5, Russia's largest retail chain manager, temporarily halted the purchase of certain Mars products due to "unfair pricing". The affected Mars products include Snickers, Twix, Bounty, Mars, Milky Way, Korkunov, M&Ms, Skittles, Orbit, Eclipse, and Wrigley's. In response, X5 announced the replacement of certain Mars products with cheaper alternatives.

Mondelez, another major player in the global confectionery industry, also announced a price increase for some cocoa-based products. Mars Incorporated, the company that manufactures Mars products worldwide, has production facilities in other countries like China starting from June 2024, but the specific local manufacturing facility in Russia is not mentioned in the search results.

The price increases have led to a rapid rise in chocolate prices within Russia, with an average increase of 47% in 2024. This has been compounded by the increase in sugar imports from Russia to Kazakhstan, which totaled 255,600 tons worth $159.6 million, marking a 27% increase from 2024.

In the face of these challenges, Kazakhstan has continued to increase its imports of confectionery products and sugar from Russia in the first six months of the year. As the market continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these trends develop in the coming months.

Russia's chocolate exports to Kazakhstan significantly rose to $118.3 million during the first half of 2025.