Russia, China establishing stable supply arrangements for agricultural produce

MOSCOW. Oct 15 (Interfax) - Russia and China are working to establish sustainable supply arrangements for agricultural and food produce, a Russian government office said in a press release published in preparation for the next regular meeting of the Russian and Chinese heads of government on October 21, 2026 in St. Petersburg.

"Cooperation is developing in the trade of agricultural and food produce. Work is being done to form stable supply arrangements for agricultural produce and to popularize Russian goods among Chinese buyers," the document reads.

The press release says that mutual trade of agricultural produce between the two countries increased 21% to $11 billion in 2025.

As reported, Russian exports to China made up $7.7 billion of this sum - 39% of which was fish and seafood, 28% vegetable oils, 10% grains and legumes, 9.7% oilseed crops, 8.9% meat and 2.8% ready-to-eat produce.

According to data from the Agroexport federal center, Russian exports to China have continued to grow this year, increasing 1.4-fold to $5.7 billion in the first seven months. Frozen fish exports increased 1.8-fold, rapeseed 20%, soybeans 3.1-fold, crustaceans 23%, peas almost 1.5-fold, sunflower oils 1.6-fold and pork and pork by-products 30%.

According to the Russian Grain Association, China has been Russia's biggest importer so far since the current marketing season began on July 1, 2026, along with Iran.

The expansion of trade is assisted by the work of Russian agricultural attaches, of which there are currently four in China - more than in other countries.

Several companies have also opened Chinese offices and trading companies in order to promote Russian produce on China's market.

China is also being considered as a potential transit route for exporting Russian grain to other countries amid logistics issues in the Azov-Black Sea basin. Russian Grain Association CEO Ksenia Bolomatova said at the recent Golden Autumn 2026 exhibition that she saw this as a very promising area.