China’s imports of Russian fertilizers rise 30% to 3.9 million tonnes

Russian volumes rise in China

China increased imports of Russian fertilizers by 30% year on year in January-August 2026, according to Finmarket, citing data from China’s General Administration of Customs. Shipments reached 3.9 million tonnes during the eight-month period.

The figures show a substantial expansion in physical volumes entering China from Russia. The available data do not specify the mix of nitrogen, phosphate, potash or compound fertilizers, nor do they provide the value of the shipments. The increase therefore establishes the direction and scale of the trade movement but does not show whether revenue grew at the same rate.

For Russian producers and exporters, the result confirms China’s growing importance as a destination capable of absorbing large fertilizer volumes. A 30% increase within one year also points to a stronger commercial focus on Asian demand, although the customs data cited by Finmarket do not indicate whether the growth came from new contracts, larger deliveries under existing agreements or changes in shipment timing.

Implications for China’s fertilizer supply

For Chinese importers, 3.9 million tonnes of Russian product represents a larger external supply stream for the domestic agricultural and fertilizer markets. Additional imported volume can broaden procurement options for buyers, but its effect on individual market segments depends on the product composition, delivery schedule and prices agreed between suppliers and customers.

The increase matters to producers and traders beyond Russia and China because a larger Russian presence can affect competition for Chinese purchasing demand. Suppliers serving the same market must account for the additional volume when negotiating sales, planning deliveries and assessing the availability of imported fertilizer. However, the reported figures alone do not establish whether Russia gained market share, because total Chinese fertilizer imports and comparable shipments from other origins were not provided.

The data also do not reveal where the fertilizers were consumed inside China or whether some volumes were held in inventories. Without product-level, price and stock information, it is too early to draw conclusions about the effect on Chinese farm input costs or domestic fertilizer production. The clearest signal is the increase in physical trade between the two countries.

A stronger Asian outlet for Russian exporters

The January-August result gives Russian suppliers a larger position in a major Asian market and reinforces China’s role in their export portfolio. For producers, sustained access to a destination taking millions of tonnes can support production planning and sales continuity. For traders and logistics operators, the larger flow raises the importance of reliable transport capacity, contract execution and delivery scheduling.

Whether the increase becomes a lasting shift will depend on developments after August and on the composition and economics of future shipments. The customs result covers only January-August 2026 and compares that period with the same eight months of the previous year. Even with those limits, the 30% rise to 3.9 million tonnes shows that Russian fertilizer exports to China expanded materially in 2026 and that Asian demand became more significant for the sector.