June 2020 | ISSUE No. 277| USRCC Business Newsletter
The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce in the partnership with 
the U.S. Commercial Service invites you to attend

U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation Honorable John J. Sullivan
and Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Honorable Anatoly I. Antonov
Key Note Presentations
 and Texas - Urals Regional Virtual Trade Mission and Business Dialogue
EVENT DATE: 

Tuesday, June 30th, 2020 
Houston - 8am CST | Moscow - 4pm MST | Yekaterinburg - 6pm YST
USRCC Members - free / Non-members - $30  
Please register online at the link above by noon (CST) Monday, June 29, 2020. 
After registering, details on how to access the virtual trade mission will be provided via email.
Please note: Refunds will not be issued after June 29, 2020. 
The USRCC and the U.S. Commercial Service joint Virtual Trade Mission and Business Dialogue (the “VTM”) is a reliable and convenient alternative in-person trade missions. By organizing VTM, USRCC is building efficient interaction between the U.S. and Russia business communities. Conducted in a webinar format, VTM provides USRCC members and partners with a unique opportunity for business introduction, presentations, and connections in a particular region that they may be interested in doing business. 
Honorable John J. Sullivan  was nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation by President Donald J. Trump on October 11, 2019; confirmed by the Senate on December 12, 2019; and sworn in by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on December 23, 2019. Ambassador Sullivan previously served as Deputy Secretary of State from May 24, 2017, until December 21, 2019. He served as acting Secretary of State from April 1 to April 26, 2018.

Prior to joining the Department of State, Ambassador Sullivan was a partner in Mayer Brown LLP, and co-chair of the law firm’s national security practice. From 2010 to 2016, he was the Chairman of the U.S.-Iraq Business Dialogue, a governmental advisory committee on United States economic relations with Iraq.

To read the full bio click  here.
His Excellency Anatoly I. Antonov  was appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States of America and Permanent Observer of the Russian Federation to the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., by the Executive Order of Vladimir Putin on August 21, 2017.

Previously, Ambassador Antonov served as Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister from 2016 to 2017, Deputy Defense Minister from 2011 to 2016, Director of the Department of Security and Disarmament of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2011, Ambassador-at-Large of Russia’s MFA from 2002 to 2004.
 
To read the full bio click   here.
AGENDA:
SPEAKERS:
James Golsen
Commercial Counselor - Senior
Commercial Officer Embassy of the United States of America 
in Moscow

To read the full bio click  here.
Amy Storrow
Consul General in Yekaterinburg,
United States

To read the full bio click  here.
Michael Treyger
Deputy Director, Business and
Community Development,
Economic Development and
Tourism, Office of the Governor,
State of Texas

To read the full bio click  here.

Andrey Besedin
President, Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry

To read the full bio click  here.
Viktor Koksharov
Rector, Ural Federal University (UrFU)

To read the full bio click   here.
Aleksey Orlov
First Deputy Governor, 
Sverdlovsk Region

To read the full bio click  here.

Dmitriy Kamerlokher
Owner of the Sibeko Group

To read the full bio click  here.


Paul A. Pavlou
PhD Dean,
Cullen Distinguished Chair,
C.T. Bauer College of Business, 
University of Houston
 
To read the full bio click  here .
Anton Druzhinin
Director Operations, CIS
(IG Metran / Emerson LLC)

To read the full bio click  here.

John W. Wallace 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DeGolyer and MacNaughton

To read the full bio click  here.
Svetlana Strelnikova
Executive Director, SKB-Kontur

To read the full bio click  here.


Natasha Robarge
Vice President for Operations and Business Development at TechTrans International Inc. (TTI)

To read the full bio click  here.
PARTICIPANTS FROM THE URALS REGION:
  • Government Leader from Urals Region: Mr. Aleksey Orlov, First Deputy Governor, Sverdlovsk Region;
  • Sverdlovsk Oblast Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs;
  • Chambers: the Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the South Urals Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Perm Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Tyumen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the CentralSiberian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Krasnoyarsk, and the Kurgan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
ABOUT THE URALS REGION:
Ural Federal District is one of the eight federal districts of Russia. Its population was more than 12 million according to the 2010 Census. In 2006, the Ural district provided 90% of Russian natural gas production, 68% of oil, and 42% of metal products. Industrial production per capita in the district is about 2.5 times higher than the average value throughout Russia. 

Its major branches are fuel mining and production (53%), metallurgy (24%) and metal processing, and engineering (8.8%). The latter two are specially developed in Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk Oblast which, between them, constitute 83% of Russian metallurgy and 73% of metal processing and engineering. 
According to the rating of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation the "Koltsovo" international airport is the largest one among the regional airports of Russia. The region ranks third in terms of the number of diplomatic missions. Ekaterinburg (the administrative center of the district) hosts significant international events and top-level meetings on an ongoing basis. Currently, Ekaterinburg is competing to host World Expo 2025. 
The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce 
Invites You to Attend
The 10th Annual Welcome Reception
Honoring Russian and CIS Delegations 
to the Breakbulk Americas 2020

Breakbulk Americas has been the established hub for the project cargo and breakbulk industry for more than 30 years. Based in Houston, it hosts more than 5,000 professionals from across the industrial supply chain based primarily in Canada, U.S. and Latin America, including the America’s largest EPCs and oil & gas companies. The conference provides shippers with the opportunity to meet and develop relationships with the leading specialized carriers, forwarders, ports, terminals and packers who have the expertise and resources to handle oversized cargoes with unique handling requirements.

U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce invites you to join the welcoming Russian and CIS delegations to the  10th Annual Breakbulk Americas Reception . This annual event draws decision makers in U.S.- Russia trade and investment, including senior representatives from major shipping and logistics companies, leaders in the oil and gas industry, government officials, elected officials and more. 

Wednesday, November 4, 2020 
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 
Four Seasons Hotel, Whitney Room 
1300 Lamar Street, Houston, TX 77010

USRCC Members - $30/Non-Members - $60
Please note: Refunds will not be issued after November the 2nd, 2020
For sponsorship opportunities please contact: 

The U.S.-Russia Chamber of Commerce
2900 Wilcrest Drive, Suite 133, Houston, TX 77042 
Phone:  713.429.4680  Email: info@usrussiacc.org
USRCC Membership
Are you taking advantage of your USRCC Member Benefits?

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!

For more information   click here
Member's News
Lukoil Starts Wildcat Drilling at New North Caspian Prospects

Lukoil.com, June 22, 2020: LUKOIL started drilling of an exploration well at the Shirotno-Rakushechnaya prospect structure, located to the north of the V.I. Grayfer field. As the sea at the point of well is 4.5 meters deep, the well with the target depth of 1 650 meters is drilled from jack-up floating rig Astra, designed for shallow waters. The same structural tectonic zone features Yury Korchagin, Valery Grayfer and Vladimir Filanovsky fields, discovered in 2000, 2001 and 2005 respectively. Read more...
Construction of Ice-Resistant Platform for Gazprom’s Field on Arctic Shelf Begins in Astrakhan

Gazprom.com, June 25, 2020:  A foundation-laying ceremony for an ice-resistant platform (ICP) of Gazprom, which will be used in the development of the Kamennomysskoye-Sea field, took place today at the shipyard of Southern Shipbuilding and Repair Center (part of United Shipbuilding Corporation) in the Astrakhan Region. Read more...
Emerson Launches Two New HVAC on Air Podcast Series Focused on Technology and Regulatory Updates

Emerson.com, June 25, 2020:   Two new podcast series recently launched by Emerson (NYSE: EMR) will focus on upcoming energy efficiency and refrigerant regulations as well as industry trends and contractor support. Tech Experts and What’s New with Regs will broadcast on Emerson’s HVAC on AIR podcast channel, and the two new series will alternate weekly episodes to feature a variety of timely and relevant topics and guests. Read more...
This Week in Review
Russia Mulls Tax Cuts for Domestic IT Companies to Accelerate Expansion of Tech Industry – Report

Rt.com, June 22, 2020:  Russian IT firms may enjoy significantly lower income tax and insurance payments, according to a plan laid out by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin. The tax break envisages a nearly twofold reduction of insurance payments – from 14 percent to 7.6 percent – while income tax could be cut to three percent from the current level of 20 percent, Russian business daily Vedomosti said, citing two government officials. Read more...
Operations of Half of Russian Companies Have Been Interrupted This Year, Says Research

Tass.com, June 23, 2020:   Almost half of Russian companies have had to interrupt operations in 2020, according to an analytical research by PwC in Russia. The research has been prepared by polling over 50 representatives of Russian companies from various sectors in February 2020. The share of companies facing major interruptions in their operations rose in 2020 to 47% (to compare, 40% in 2019), according to the research. Read more...
Gazprom Negotiates Gas Prices with Partners

Russiabusinesstoday.com, June 22, 2020:   Russia sees between $40 and $50 to the barrel as a fair and balanced oil price, the RIA news agency cited Russia’s Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin as saying on Monday. Gazprom is negotiating with a number of partners to revise the prices of gas supplied, but there is no plan to seriously revise them in long-term contracts, said Sergei Komlev, head of the contract structuring and pricing department at Gazprom Export, RIA reported. Read more...
Russia Takes a Leaf out the U.S. Shale Oil Playbook

Reuters.com, June 24, 2020:   Russia is taking a leaf out of the U.S. shale playbook so it can ramp up oil production quickly and hang on to its share of the global market when demand finally recovers after the coronavirus pandemic. At least two state-owned banks, Sberbank (SBER.MM) and VEB, plan to lend oil firms some 400 billion roubles ($6 billion) at effectively almost zero interest rates to drill about 3,000 unfinished wells, officials involved in the scheme told Reuters. Read more...
Russia Will Raise Taxes on Top Earners, Putin Announces

Themoscowtimes.com, June 23, 2020:   Russia will hike taxes for the country’s top earners from next year, President Vladimir Putin announced in a speech to the nation Tuesday afternoon. In a lengthy address in which Putin discussed Russia’s fight with the coronavirus and hailed the success of the country’s health system in mobilizing for the epidemic, Putin announced the surprise move to scrap Russia’s flat 13% income tax system from next year. Read more...
Russian Government Adjusts National Project to Support SMEs Taking Pandemic into Account

Tass.com, June 23, 2020:  The Russian government is adjusting the national project "Small and medium-sized enterprises and the support of individual entrepreneurial initiative" taking into account the situation with the coronavirus pandemic, Presidential Commissioner for the Entrepreneurs' Rights Boris Titov told TASS. Read more...
IMF Forecasts Deeper Slump for Russian, Global Economies

Interfax.com, June 25, 2020:   The International Monetary Fund has downgraded its outlook for the Russian economy in 2020 and now expects the country to see a slump of 6.6% instead of the 5.5% drop it forecast in April. The global economy will also contract by more than previously thought, by 4.9% instead of 3%, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook Update, published on Wednesday. Read more...
Houston-Tyumen Sister Cities
Tyumen Entered the Top Three Cities of the Russian Federation, Where the Labor Market is Most Actively Restored

Znak.com, June 18, 2020:   The Avito Job analytical center, based on data on new vacancies, published a rating of Russian regions where the labor market is most actively recovering. Tyumen entered the top three list leaders. The positive dynamics may also be related to the actively implemented  program  to promote student employment in the Tyumen region, which in April was initiated by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Read more...
CIS Business News
Kazakh Government to Update Strategic Development Plan For 2025, Liberalize Regulations on Businesses

Astanatimes.com, June 24, 2020: The Kazakh government will update the Strategic Development Plan For 2025. The new document will incorporate a mechanism called the “institute of regulatory appeal.” This mechanism will allow entrepreneurs and business associations to cancel or suspend the decisions of central and local governmental bodies by filing a complaint. The Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov announced this new pro-business measure during the June 23rd government meeting. Read more...
Belarus to Buy 1.58m Tonnes of Russian Oil in July

Eng.belta.by, June 23, 2020:   Belarus will buy 1.58 million tonnes of Russian oil in July, BelTA learned from Aleksandr Tishchenko, Press Secretary of the Belarusian state petrochemical concern Belneftekhim, on 23 June. BelTA reported earlier that the sides have agreed a schedule for delivering 5.75 million tonnes of oil from Russia to Belarus by pipeline in Q3 2020. Read more...
Finance Ministry's Short-term State Bonds Worth $8.8m Trade at Auction

Azernews.az, June 23, 2020:   Baku Stock Exchange (BSE) held an auction on placement of short-term state bonds of Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan worth AZN 15 million ($8,8m) with 1092 day maturity, BSE’s official website reported on June 23. During the auction, 25 bids were submitted from 14 investors with the price range of AZN 90.6123 ($53.3), with the yield of maturity of 15 percent and AZN 100.5011 ($59.12), with the yield of maturity of 10.8 percent per bond. Read more...
US-Russia Related News in Russia
Новости недели
Президент Предложил Выделить Еще 100 млрд руб. на Льготные Кредиты под 2%

Interfax.ru, Июнь 23, 2020:   Президент РФ Владимир Путин предложил расширить программу кредитов по льготной ставке 2% предприятиям из пострадавших от коронавируса отраслей, выделив дополнительно 100 млрд рублей. Путин напомнил, что эти средства будут доступны организациям тремя равными траншами в июне, июле и августе. Затем при соблюдении условия сохранения штатной численности компании долг будет списан. Читать далее...
Россия Разрешила Въезд Иностранным Специалистам

Kommersant.ru, Июнь 25, 2020:   Премьер-министр России Михаил Мишустин подписал распоряжение, которым смягчил ограничения на въезд — теперь в страну могут въехать высококвалифицированные иностранные специалисты, имеющие разрешение на работу. При себе необходимо будет иметь действующий трудовой договор или договор на выполнение работ или оказание услуг.  Читать далее...
Bloomberg: Экспорт Российской Нефти Urals в Июле Упадет на 40% на фоне ограничений ОПЕК+

Tass.ru, Июнь 25, 2020:   Экспорт российской нефти сорта Urals в июле планируется в объеме 785 тыс. б/с, что на 40% меньше уровня июня, сообщает агентство  Bloomberg  со ссылкой на источники, знакомые с прогнозной статистикой. В таком объеме российский сорт Urals планируется отгрузить в июле из трех морских портов - Приморска, Усть-Луги и Новороссийска. Читать далее...
Международные Резервы РФ за Неделю Сократились на $3 млрд

Finmarket.ru, Июнь 25, 2020:   Международные резервы России на 19 июня составили $567,8 млрд, сообщил Банк России.По состоянию на 12 июня международные резервы равнялись $570,8 млрд. Таким образом, за неделю они сократились на $3 млрд, или на 0,53%. Как говорится в сообщении ЦБ РФ, резервы сократились главным образом вследствие отрицательной переоценки, а также продажи иностранной валюты на внутреннем валютном рынке. Читать далее...
Список Системообразующих Организаций ТЭК Расширили

Ria.ru, Июнь 25, 2020:   Правительственная комиссия по повышению устойчивости развития экономики России одобрила представленные Минэнерго дополнения в список системообразующих организаций российской экономики в части топливно-энергетического комплекса, говорится в сообщении министерства. 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 .

Copyright 2017. All Rights Reserved.