National Union of Food Exporters is a voluntary non-profit organization created to bring together, coordinate and represent the common interests of exporters of Russian food and agricultural products.

 The Union was founded in 1999 by three Russian food producers: the largest Russian producer of juices ("Wimm-Bill-Dann"), the largest producer of vegetable oil (‛Efirnoye") and the meat producing company "Protein Product".

 Currently, among the members of the Union are the largest producers and exporters of Russian foodstuffs, suppliers of unique products , insurance and legal companies, exhibition organizations, consulting firms, publishing houses, academies.

The leaders of the Union are mebers of FAO Group of Experts on Agricultural Trade in Europe and Central Asia, the Committee for the Development of Agro-Industrial Complex and the Council for the Foreign Economic Relations of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. 

National Union of  Food Exporters interacts with Russian trade missions abroad and foreign embassies in Russia.

 

Merchants Club is a division of the National Union of Food Exporters, founded specifically to boost imports of ingredients for the production of export products.

                 Many Russian food companies import ingredients needed to produce export products.  For example, confectionary factories import cocoa beans, tea factories import tea for blending, wineries import wine materials, enterprises of other industries import other ingredients as well as related materials (packaging, closures, corks, bottles, etc.).

                The total volume of Russian imports of agri-food products is $ 30 billion a year.

                Importing organic products and establishing contacts with foreign producers is of particular interest.

                Russian companies are also interested in acquiring technologies for processing, packaging, logistics and storage, food safety.

                In this regard, the heads of the Merchants Club are interested in visiting exhibitions in foreign countries as hosted buyers.

 

 Membership in the Union gives its members a number of benefits:

• assistance in finding new markets and partners;

• business missions to foreign countries;

• press promotion in Russia and abroad (publications in the journal "AGROS");

• assistance in obtaining legal support;

• eliminating trade barriers;

• assistance in attracting foreign investors;

• sending commercial offers;

• participate in contests ("For the wealth and prosperity of Russia", "Best Russian Exporter");

• Logo placement on the website of the Union;

• invitations to discussions (the State Duma, the Analytical Centre of the Government of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Russia, international organizations).