Russian exports to China

Russian exports to China: Non-primary supplies increased by 18% in 2025

    The Russian Export Center (REC) summed up the results of 2025, recording a steady increase in non-primary non-energy exports from Russia to China. According to REC General Director Veronika Nikishina, announced at the International Transport and Logistics Forum in St. Petersburg, shipments increased by 18%. The forestry industry has become one of the key drivers of this growth, along with agricultural, chemical and high-tech products.

Key trend: export diversification

    Veronika Nikishina stressed that the growth of supplies to China is not just a statistical indicator, but a confirmation of the successful diversification of the Russian economy.:

"Despite a slight fluctuation in the figures in 2025, shipments of non-primary exports increased by 18%. In addition to the usual fuel, Chinese consumers are supplied with meat, seafood, confectionery, chemical and forestry products, high-tech and light industry products. These are not just numbers. This is the answer to the question of how to diversify the economy. And the Chinese market is our key partner here" — Veronika Nikishina, CEO of REC

    Thus, the forestry industry is among the priority non-resource sectors that ensure the growth of bilateral trade.

The "Made in Russia" program: building infrastructure in China

    The promotion of Russian goods under a single national brand "Made in Russia" has become an important tool for conquering the Chinese market. According to the head of the REC, the program creates a full-fledged commodity distribution infrastructure in China.:

•     - Permanent Representative Office of the REC in China;
•     - Regular festivals and fairs of Russian goods;
•     - Pavilions of Russian products;
•     - Work with the largest Chinese marketplaces.

"The result is clear: Chinese consumers are becoming more familiar with our dairy products, meat, chocolate and baby food. Demand is growing, and logistics must keep up with it."

    Although food products are mentioned as examples, the same mechanism also works for products of the forestry industry — lumber, plywood, pulp, which are also promoted under a single brand.

New logistics architecture: accelerating and simplifying supplies

    The growing trade turnover requires modern logistics solutions. The head of the REC presented a new architecture for the delivery of goods from Russia to China, including:

•     - Direct container trains via Kazakhstan and Mongolia;
•     - Modernization of terminals in Zabaikalsk, Artyom, and Kani-Kurgan;
•     - The transition of maritime transportation from complex transit schemes to direct routes.
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An important context for the forestry industry: 

    Chinese ports have become a key hub for Russian exporters entering the markets of Southeast Asia. This opens up additional opportunities for Russian timber supplies not only to China, but also to Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and other countries in the region.

Export Express for SMEs: support for small businesses

    A special supply route to China, the Export Express for SMEs, has been organized for small exporting companies in Russia. These are regular shipments of entire container trains, where small shipments of goods from small and medium-sized businesses with a volume of one container are collected.

Key distribution centers in China:

•     - Xi'an
•     - Qingdao
•     - Chengdu
•     - Suifenhe

"During our work, we have sent more than 38 such trains. The nomenclature is very different: from frozen meat and confectionery products to chemical industry products"

    For small and medium-sized timber enterprises, this mechanism opens up access to the Chinese market without the need to form complete container shipments on their own.

Specialized services: "Fish" and "Meat shuttles"

    In the context of food supplies, the REC has created end-to-end multimodal Fish and Meat Shuttle services that operate without seasonal restrictions.

The result:

•     - 2024: 130 thousand tons of products were shipped to East Asia (mainly to China).
•     - 2025: already more than 200 thousand tons.

"This is a clear indicator that the profitable economy of the route and direct work with the manufacturer in the region give a multiple increase"

    The experience of these services can be scaled to forest products, especially to the segment of recycled wood with high added value.

Priorities for 2026: infrastructure synchronization and digitalization

    The head of the REC proposed to the Chinese partners a number of initiatives aimed at further development of export supplies:

1. - Synchronization of the development of the border infrastructure to eliminate the "bottlenecks" in the eastern direction — the Zabaikalsk, Makhalino, and Grodekovo crossings. This will increase the throughput and range of goods, including forest products.
2. - The transition to full electronic document management to accelerate the integration of Russian and Chinese systems for the exchange of phytosanitary and veterinary certificates. This is especially important for the forestry industry, as the simplification of phytosanitary control will accelerate the supply of sawn timber.
3. - Joint investments in the port infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route and the creation of joint ventures to manage this route. The NSR allows cargo to be delivered to ports in the Western Arctic and Northern Europe twice as fast as through the Suez Canal.
4.  

"Our goal for 2026 is to turn the created infrastructure into a stable, understandable tool that will allow our manufacturers to operate in the Chinese market with minimal costs."

Key indicators of non-primary exports to China:

Importance for the forestry industry

    The statements of the head of the REC are of direct importance for Russian timber companies operating in the Chinese sector.:

1.     - An 18% increase in non—primary exports confirms that forest products (lumber, plywood, pulp, pellets) are among the priority goods in growing demand in China.
2.     - REC logistics solutions (container trains, terminal modernization, Export Express) directly reduce transportation costs for timber exporters.
3.     - The "Made in Russia" program creates recognition of Russian forest brands in the Chinese market, which is especially important in the context of competition with suppliers from New Zealand, Canada and Europe.
4.     - Digitalization of document management and simplification of phytosanitary control are long—awaited measures for the forestry industry, where bureaucratic barriers remain one of the main obstacles to increasing exports.
5.     - The development of the port infrastructure and the Northern Sea Route opens up new logistical opportunities for timber supplies from northwest Russia (Arkhangelsk, Murmansk) to China and Southeast Asian countries.
6.  

The prospects

    Cooperation between Russia and China in the forestry sector will continue to deepen. The 18% increase in non—primary exports is not a one-time surge, but a reflection of systematic efforts to diversify the economy and create sustainable supply chains.

    For Chinese importers of forest products, this means:

•     - Expanding the range of available Russian products;
•     - Improved logistics and shorter delivery times;
•     - Increasing the transparency of transactions through exchange mechanisms (in furtherance of cooperation with the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange);
•     - The opportunity to work with small and medium-sized Russian suppliers through the "Export Express" mechanism.

    The year 2026 will mark the stage of transformation of the created infrastructure into a stable instrument of bilateral trade, which will create additional advantages for all market participants.

Tags: #REC #export #China #non-oil_export #forest industry #Made in_Russia #Logistics #Export_express #North Sea route #Russian-Chinese cooperation