12.09.2026 Trade & Markets #Russia #China #Export #Statistics
Russian agrifood exports to China grow 1.4-fold to $5.7bn
Russia's agrifood exports to China totaled $5.7 billion in January-July 2026, up 1.4 times year on year, Alexander Yakuba, adviser to the head of the federal Agroexport centre, said at the Russian-Chinese forum in Khabarovsk on September 4, 2026 (Interfax; Alta-Soft). For context, Russia's full-year agrifood exports to China in 2025 stood at $7.7 billion, while two-way agrifood trade between the countries exceeded $11 billion (Alta-Soft).
What Russia is shipping to China
In the 2025 export structure, fish and seafood led with a 39% share, followed by vegetable oils at 28%, cereals and legumes at 10%, oilseeds at 9.7%, meat at 8.9%, and processed food at 2.8% (Alta-Soft).
The fastest-growing categories in January-July 2026 were:
- frozen fish — up 1.8 times;
- soybeans — up 3.1 times;
- sunflower oil — up 1.6 times;
- peas — up nearly 1.5 times;
- pork and offal — up 30%;
- crustaceans — up 23%;
- rapeseed oil — up 20%
(Alta-Soft).
Why the Far East's share keeps rising
The Russian Far East accounts for 42% of the country's entire agrifood exports to China, with fish products making up 77% of Far Eastern shipments (Alta-Soft). Since 2021, exports have grown fastest in Kamchatka — up 4.2 times — followed by Sakhalin region, up 4 times, Khabarovsk Territory, up 2 times, and Primorye and Amur region, each up 1.7 times (Alta-Soft).
What it means for exporters
At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on the same day, Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Roman Chekushov set out the flip side of the trade relationship: raising the share of high-tech products in exports to China. He said Russia currently ships "mostly... natural resources and goods with a low degree of processing," while Chinese partners send back high-value-added products (PRIME). Growth areas, he added, extend beyond machinery to the chemical industry, including cosmetics and household chemicals (PRIME).
For agrifood exporters, the immediate takeaway is that Chinese demand for fish, vegetable oils and legumes remains strong and is well served by Far Eastern logistics. But the bilateral agenda is shifting toward diversification — manufacturers of chemicals and household goods should treat the Khabarovsk forum and EEF pitch sessions as an entry point into the Chinese market.
Primary sources
- Экспорт продукции АПК из России в Китай за семь месяцев вырос в 1,4 раза — Интерфакс
- Экспорт АПК из РФ в КНР за полгода превысил $5,7 млрд — Альта-Софт
- Минпромторг о задачах экспорта в Китай — Альта-Софт
- В Минпромторге назвали главную задачу для торговли с Китаем — ПРАЙМ
This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.