China has sharply increased its purchases of Russian wheat
China has significantly increased its purchases of Russian wheat since the beginning of the year, but the overall trend remains volatile and lags behind that of key global suppliers. At the same time, shipments of barley and corn are on the rise, which partially offsets the decline in certain categories. At the same time, Russia’s share of exports to the Chinese market remains limited, according to Russian media reports.
Since the start of the year, China has nearly tripled its imports of Russian wheat—to $5.99 million compared to $2.1 million during the same period last year, according to data from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China; however, even so, Russia’s market share remains relatively small compared to other suppliers.
In April, wheat shipments from Russia ceased entirely, whereas a year earlier they amounted to over $400,000, highlighting the unevenness of trade between the countries throughout the year. Overall, China imports wheat from eight countries, with Canada leading the market at over $303 million, Australia at nearly $205 million, and Argentina at about $95 million, while Russia saw its total imports drop to $13.8 million for the year, down from $87.3 million a year earlier.
At the same time, Russian barley exports rose significantly—to $64 million compared to $40.4 million in the previous period—and nearly doubled in April, allowing Russia to take third place among suppliers of this grain behind Australia and Canada.
China also increased its imports of Russian corn by 2.8 times—to $43.4 million—although shipments in April declined slightly compared to the previous year, with Brazil remaining the primary supplier.
Despite growth in certain categories, Russia currently has limited export opportunities to the Chinese market and can supply only spring wheat and barley, while Moscow continues to seek permission to export winter crops, which could significantly expand its presence in this segment.
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