April 2020 | ISSUE No. 267| USRCC Business Newsletter
Dear USRCC Members!
 
In this period of economic uncertainty, long-established companies are seeking new ways to consolidate their foothold and expand further as competition intensifies. We are also attempting to maintain our members loyalty and identify new ways of growing their business and opening up new markets. 

The Roscongress Foundation is set to launch a new B2B e-commerce venture at forbusiness.roscongress.org . This platform will support the needs of professionals across various industries, and promote businesses to a broad audience in Russia and across the world. The service will also be open to big, medium-sized enterprises, and small companies. 
 
USRCC Team
USRCC Business Survey

Amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, the USRCC is launching the  Business Survey.  We want to hear how your company is doing during this ever-changing time. Your responses will not only help us keep a pulse on the current situation but will also advance our understanding of the issues your businesses are facing.  

The survey should take no more than 3-5 minutes to complete. We want to assure you that your responses to our survey are completely confidential.

Thank you in advance for your participation! Please click below to begin.
◾ USRCC Membership
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The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce provides a variety of Membership options to fit your business needs and goals. Renew your membership or join for the first time today!

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◾ Member's News
Lukoil Continues Development of its North Caspian Fields

Lukoil.com, April 10, 2020:   LUKOIL has moved on to the next stage of facilities construction for the Valery Grayfer field being the launch of the jacket of the living quarters platform from the yard to the Caspian Sea. The total weight of the facility designed to accommodate 155 people is 6,000 tons. The installation of the topside of the living quarters platform is scheduled for 2021. Read more...
Maximum Daily Deliverability of Russian UGS Facilities to Exceed 1 Billion Cubic Meters

Gazprom.com, April 10, 2020:   The Gazprom Management Committee took note of the information about the program for underground gas storage (UGS) facility development in Russia for 2020–2030. It was highlighted that the Company ensures a high level of reliability of its gas supplies to consumers. Consistent increases in deliverability and expansions of the UGS network are essential to this systematic work. UGS facilities form an integral part of Russia's Unified Gas Supply System and can provide up to 22 per cent of Gazprom's daily supplies and over 30 per cent during peak periods. Read more...
Suspended Flights due to Coronavirus

Turkishairlines.com, April 14, 2020: In accordance with the decisions taken by the official authorities and the measures we have taken for the sake of your health due to the Global-Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak, all our international flights are suspended until May 20, 2020 and domestic flights until May 1, 2020. Read more...
YPF Selects Emerson Technology as Its Corporate Seismic Interpretation Application

Emerson.com, April 16, 2020: Emerson announced it has signed a multi-year agreement with YPF S.A., a major Argentinian energy company, for Emerson’s exploration and production (E&P) software for seismic data interpretation and visualization. This comprehensive software portfolio gives YPF a holistic subsurface view of its reservoirs and exploration areas, leading to a collaborative and integrated seismic interpretation workflow for faster cycle-times. Emerson replaces other interpretation solutions at YPF and becomes its corporate interpretation software standard. Read more...
Michael Grace Speaks on Legal Podcast to Discuss CARES Act

Lewisbrisbois.com, April 14, 2020: Washington D.C. Partner Michael J. Grace spoke on Legal Talk Network’s “ Legal Talk Today ” podcast to discuss the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Specifically, Mr. Grace covered the stimulus payments and unemployment benefits for which individuals are eligible. Read more...
◾ This Week in Review
Putin Promises Strong Support for Russian Businesses Hurt by Coronavirus Crisis

Rt.com, April 15, 2020:  Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has suggested new measures to support small and medium-sized businesses by providing them with funds to continue paying salaries to employees instead of laying them off amid the Covid-19 pandemic. During a meeting with the members of the government on Wednesday, Putin proposed adding the hardest-hit non-food companies to the list of small and medium-sized businesses.  Read more...
Russian Banks Reject Most Applications for Emergency Coronavirus Loans

Themoscowtimes.com, April 13, 2020:  Russian banks are failing to approve the majority of appeals for financial support from consumers and businesses seeking emergency funding under government schemes to ease economic damage stemming from the coronavirus, the Central Bank has confirmed. Read more...
Russian Unemployment May more than TRIPLE Due to Business Shutdown amid Coronavirus Quarantine

Rt.com, April 13, 2020:   The economic crisis triggered by Covid-19 can leave up to 8 million Russians out of work and the situation in the labor market may not improve till the end of the year, the head of Russia’s Accounts Chamber has warned. “According to forecasts, during this crisis the number of unemployed people in Russia will rise from 2.5 million to 8 million for some time,” Alexei Kudrin, who used serve as Russia’s Minister of Finance, told RBC business outlet on Monday. He added that the jobless rate can drop only when the economy rebounds with the rise in demand and consumption and businesses coming back to normal.  Read more...
Experts Say Russia Should Hand out Cash, Boost Money Supply as Crisis Looms

Russiabusinesstoday.com, April 14, 2020:   A group of liberal economists has called on the Russian government to dramatically boost its economic relief measures amid the coronavirus crisis by letting the Bank of Russia increase the money supply and handing over large cash payments to Russian citizens. In an article published by Liberal.ru, the experts argue that economic policies used to combat previous crises may turn out to be not only useless but also harmful in this case. Read more...
OPEC+ is Looking to Cut is 20 Mln Barrels a Day, Says Trump

Tass.com, April 13, 2020:   OPEC + are trying to bring total reduction of oil production to 20 mln barrels per day, US President Donald Trump wrote on Twitter on Monday. "Having been involved in the negotiations, to put it mildly, the number that OPEC+ is looking to cut is 20 Million Barrels a day, not the 10 Million that is generally being reported. If anything near this happens, and the World gets back to business from the Covid 19 disaster, the Energy Industry will be strong again, far faster than currently anticipated," he tweeted. Read more...
Russia Hails Oil Deal it Says Will Save Millions of U.S. Jobs

Reuters.com, April 13, 2020:   The global oil production deal clinched at the weekend will help establish a price floor and save millions of jobs in the United States, senior Russian officials said on Monday. Having been in a stand-off with western nations - most notably the United States - from 2014 on everything from Crimea’s annexation from Ukraine to allegations of election meddling, Moscow has sought to rebuild ties since the coronavirus outbreak. Read more...
◾ Houston-Tyumen Sister Cities
Tyumen Deputies Reduced the Tax Burden on Entrepreneurs and Changed the Standards of Urban Planning

Duma.tyumen-city.ru, April 16, 2020:   Until the end of this year, for all individual entrepreneurs and legal entities working on the principle of a single tax on imputed income (UTII), the correction factor has been reduced to a minimum level of 0.005 (previously for some types of entrepreneurial activity it amounted to 1.0). The decision was held by all fractions of the City Duma, and it was adopted unanimously. From January 1 to the end of this year, about 10 thousand taxpayers will be able to use this tax relief. Note that such a measure of support for small business was proposed by the Governor of the Tyumen region, Alexander Moor, at a meeting with representatives of the entrepreneurial community. Read more...
◾ CIS Business News
Kazakhstan Increases Oil Production in Q1 2020

Neweurope.eu, April 14, 2020:   The volume of oil production in Kazakhstan since January to March 2020 increased by 2.6%, to 23.6 million tonnes, Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Nurlan Nogayev told a government meeting on April 14. According to him, this volume amounted to 103.1% of the plan or 102.6% compared to the same period last year. Read more...
Belneftekhim Signing Contracts with Major Russian Companies

Eng.belta.by, April 13, 2020:  The Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim is busy signing contracts with major Russian companies. The amount of crude oil Belneftekhim has signed contracts for and intends to get in April is getting close to 2 million tonnes, BelTA learned from Belneftekhim Press Secretary Aleksandr Tishchenko. Read more...
$1,8bn Invested in Azerbaijan's Road Sector in 2019

Azernews.az, April 14, 2020:   Investments made in Azerbaijan's road sector increased by 7.9 percent year-on-year, amounting to $1,8bn, local media reported, citing the Cabinet of Ministers. According to the Cabinet of Minister’s 2019 summary report, in 2018, investments worth $1.8 billion were directed to the development of the road sector in Azerbaijan. Thus, the volume of investments made in this connection for 2019 increased by 7.9 percent. Read more...
◾ US-Russia Related News in Russia
◾ Новости недели
Россия Идет на Крупнейшее в Истории Сокращение Добычи Нефти

Kommersant.ru, April 13, 2020:   В результате новой сделки по сокращению добычи стран ОПЕК+, объявленной 10 апреля, российская нефтяная отрасль вынуждена будет урезать производство жидких углеводородов в 2020 году на 8,4%. Это самый низкий уровень с 1994 года, когда добыча в России после развала СССР падала примерно на 10% в течение трех лет. В абсолютном выражении сокращение добычи нефти составит около 46,6 млн тонн — большее падение наблюдалось в истории современной России только по итогам 1992 года (63 млн тонн). Читать далее...
Shell Вышел из Сделки с «Газпром нефтью» по Освоению Месторождений в ЯНАО

Rbc.ru, April 13, 2020:   Концерн Shell не будет завершать сделку по созданию совместного предприятия на базе «Меретояханефтегаз», сообщается на сайте «Газпром нефть». Решение принято в связи с негативным воздействием внешних факторов, говорится в сообщении. Читать далее...
Российский Внешний Долг с Января Снизился на 40,8 Миллиарда Долларов

Ria.ru, Апрель 13, 2020:   Внешний долг РФ за первый квартал текущего года сократился на 40,8 миллиарда долларов, или на 8,3%, и составил 450 миллиардов долларов, говорится в материалах Банка России. "Внешний долг Российской Федерации по состоянию на 1 апреля 2020 года, по оценке Банка России, составил 450,0 миллиарда долларов США, снизившись с начала года на 40,8 миллиарда долларов США, или на 8,3%", - говорится в сообщении. Читать далее...
"Роснефть" в Рамках Buyback Выкупила Еще 1 Млн Акций

Tass.ru, Апрель 14, 2020:   Компания "Роснефть" продолжает обратный выкуп акций, приобрела еще 1 млн обыкновенных акций и 50 тыс. глобальных депозитарных расписок (GDR). Об этом говорится в сообщении компании. Стоимость выкупленных акций и расписок оценивается в порядка $4,8 млн. Читать далее...
Приток Иностранных Инвестиций в Россию остановился

Rbc.ru, Апрель 13, 2020:   Банк России опубликовал первую оценку платежного баланса России за первый квартал 2020 года. Статистика показала практически остановку притока зарубежных инвестиций. Экспорт сырья сократился почти на четверть. Читать далее...
Второй Пакет для Путина: на что Правительство Потратит 1 Трлн Рублей

Forbes.ru, Апрель 14, 2020:   Forbes стали известны детали второго пакета антикризисных мер стоимостью 1 трлн рублей, который правительство разрабатывает по поручению президента и может представить уже в четверг. Самая «дорогая» мера в обсуждаемом плане — кредитная поддержка системообразующих предприятий. На меры по поддержке малого и среднего бизнеса планируется выделить чуть более 100 млрд рублей.  Читать далее...
GET INVOLVED

The USRCC is looking for new team members!

Volunteers play a key role and the contributions they make impact the day-to-day functions of the chamber and shape the future of the relationship between Russia and the U.S.

There are many ways you can get involved with the USRCC. Whether you are an experienced leader or a student, there is a place for you. By volunteering you can be at the very center of our high-profile events held in Houston, Chicago and New York City and interact with influential leaders in the U.S.-Russia trade and investment.
To learn more about the position 
or contact us directly at info@usrussiacc.org   
call 713.429.4680
 USRCC Executive Partners 
U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce
2900 Wilcrest Drive
Suite 133
Houston, TX 77042

713-429-4680
The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce (USRCC) is a 501(c)(6) not for profit corporation with its headquarters in Houston, Texas, and offices in the Midwest and the Northeast. The USRCC was established in 2009 to promote trade and investment between the Russia n Federation and the U.S.A.  
The information contained in this newsletter is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other professional advice on any subject matter. USRCC does not accept any responsibility for any loss that may arise from reliance on information contained in this newsletter. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors. They do not reflect the opinions or views of the USRCC or its members. Links within this newsletter lead to other websites, including those operated and maintained by third parties. The linked sites are not part of the USRCC newsletter. USRCC includes these links solely as a convenience to the newsletter subscribers, and the presence of such links does not imply a responsibility for the linked site and its operator. USRCC cannot certify the accuracy of the material provided by the original source .

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