China’s apple and pear export revenue from Russia rises 25% to $44.3 million
China earned $44.3 million from apple and pear exports to Russia in the first half of 2026, up from $35.4 million a year earlier. The increase reflects Russia’s domestic fruit supply gap, although higher prices and logistics costs may also have raised the trade value.
First-half revenue reaches $44.3 million
China increased its revenue from apple and pear exports to Russia by 25% in the first half of 2026, reinforcing its role as a supplier to a market where domestic fruit production does not fully meet consumer demand. According to Finmarket, the value of the two product categories reached $44.3 million, compared with $35.4 million in the same period of 2025.
The figures describe trade in monetary terms rather than physical shipment volumes. That distinction matters for producers, traders and buyers assessing the strength of underlying demand. Pravda.ru cited financial analyst Nikita Volkov as saying that an increase in import value does not necessarily indicate proportional growth in cargo volumes, because supplier prices and logistics costs also affect the final customs value.
Monthly purchases fluctuate
Shipments were uneven during the six-month period. Pravda.ru reported that purchases peaked at $9.4 million in March and fell to a first-half low of $5.6 million in June. The publication also put the value of fruit brought in at the beginning of the year at approximately $12 million, without providing separate physical-volume data.
The available figures therefore show a clear rise in Chinese suppliers’ revenue but do not establish how much of the increase came from additional tonnes of apples and pears. Changes in product mix, grades, packaging, transport routes and freight expenses can all alter the value declared at customs without producing an equivalent change in tonnage.
Domestic supply gap supports imports
Pravda.ru attributed the increase partly to insufficient Russian production, which does not cover domestic consumer demand, and partly to changing commercial arrangements between trading companies in Russia and China. For Russian importers and retailers, Chinese fruit provides an additional source of supply when local availability is limited. For Chinese growers, packers and exporters, the Russian market offers expanding sales revenue across two major fresh-fruit categories.
The growth also has implications for Russian orchard operators. More imported apples and pears can improve availability for buyers, but they also increase competitive pressure in wholesale and retail channels. The effect on domestic prices cannot be determined from the published data because the sources provide neither shipment tonnage nor average import prices.
Purchases of Chinese fruit are expected to increase during the autumn and winter, when supply on the Russian market traditionally declines, Pravda.ru reported. The scale of that increase will depend not only on seasonal demand but also on supplier pricing and logistics costs. Market participants will need physical-volume data alongside customs values to determine whether China is shipping substantially more fruit or earning more from each unit delivered.
