In the first half of 2025, Russia’s wheat exports to China plunged from $38.9 million to just $2.5 million — a nineteen-fold decrease compared to the same period in 2024. In June alone, not a single kilogram of Russian wheat was shipped to China, while in the same month last year, Beijing purchased $6.4 million worth, reports Baltimore Chronicle citing data from China’s customs service.
The Kremlin had placed high hopes on food exports as a substitute for declining energy revenues, with China seen as a critical destination. However, even this direction is now slipping out of reach. Russia has dropped to fourth place among wheat suppliers to China, falling behind Canada, Australia, and Kazakhstan.
The issue goes beyond China. Russian agriculture is grappling with declining yields caused by drought and poor infrastructure. Analysts forecast that by July, wheat exports may shrink by nearly 50%, marking the worst start to a grain season in 17 years.
Barley exports are also suffering: down 58% over the past six months and nearly zero shipments recorded in June. The Kremlin previously hailed food exports as the “new oil” for the budget. In practice, however, the agricultural sector has proven just as fragile as other raw material industries, weakened by the loss of stable foreign demand under sanctions.
Earlier we wrote that China starts construction of world’s largest hydropower plant on Tibetan Plateau.