The dollar share of Russian exports dropped below 50% for the first time on record in the fourth quarter following a multi-year Kremlin campaign to reduce the country’s vulnerability to U.S. assets.
Most of the slump in dollar use came from Russia’s trade with China, more than three-quarters of which is now conducted in euros, according to central bank data published on Monday. The common currency’s share in total exports jumped more than 10 percentage points to 36%, the data show.