Russian mining-and-chemical industry has five large vertically integrated holdings. They mostly produce mineral fertilizers for Russia and more than 10 % of mineral fertilizers in the world, and are among the world’s 15 top fertilizer producers. Unfortunately, the current trends and forecasts of the industry development require accounting for probable hazards and influence of negative factors on prospects of the mining-and-chemical industry in Russia. Among them are: low paying capacity of agriculture commodity producers, lack of logistic facilities, high transportation rates, advance in raw material price, low energy efficiency of production and the fact that competitive advantages of Russian mining-and-chemical holdings are based on natural resources, first of all, which jeopardizes progression in the industry. The status of Russian mining-and-chemical holdings on the world market, aside from the inherent problems, is affected by the market, macroeconomics and politics. High macroeconomic risks have aggravating effect on the competitive environment in the industry; accordingly, adequate approaches are required to shaping competitive advantages and a new strategy. The new strategy of the mining-and-chemical holdings is to rest upon consolidation of these holdings and the agricultural sector of the country, orientation towards active governmental support of enlargement of farm enterprises; the foreign economic activity should aim to expand large developing world markets (Latin America, India, China, Saudi Arabia) and to change from the policy of asset sales to foreign buyers to agreement undertaking on production sharing and mutually benefi cial investment projects.