China’s wheat imports from Russia jump 3.5-fold in first half of 2026
China imported $8.7 million of Russian wheat in January-June 2026, 3.5 times the value recorded a year earlier. Purchases of Russian barley doubled to $84.5 million, while corn imports rose 1.4-fold to $70 million.
Wheat purchases recover from a low base
China imported $8.7 million worth of wheat from Russia in the first half of 2026, 3.5 times the $2.5 million recorded in the same period of 2025, Interfax reported, citing data from China’s General Administration of Customs.
June purchases reached $1.5 million, compared with no Russian wheat imports in June 2025. The monthly value also exceeded the $1.2 million recorded in May. January remained the strongest month of 2026, with shipments valued at $5.3 million.
The increase has not materially changed Russia’s position among China’s wheat suppliers. China sourced wheat from eight countries during January-June, with Russia remaining in fifth place. Canada led with $415.6 million, followed by Australia with $258.5 million and the United States with $98.1 million. The United States displaced Argentina, which supplied $95.3 million, from third place.
The comparison also highlights the volatility of recent trade. China imported $13.8 million of Russian wheat in all of 2025, 6.3 times less than the $87.3 million purchased in 2024. The first-half recovery therefore follows a steep annual contraction and remains small beside China’s purchases from its principal suppliers.
Barley and corn provide greater trade value
Russian barley shipments to China doubled to $84.5 million in January-June from $42.5 million a year earlier. June accounted for $14.6 million, sharply above the $743,600 recorded in the corresponding month of 2025.
Russia nevertheless slipped from third to fourth place among China’s seven barley suppliers after Argentina moved ahead with sales of $91.2 million. Australia remained the dominant source at $1.6 billion, while Canada supplied $326.62 million. Russia’s stronger first-half result also follows a decline in full-year barley sales to $111.2 million in 2025 from $177.1 million in 2024.
Corn was another significant component of bilateral grain trade. Russia supplied China with $70 million of corn in the first six months, 1.4 times the $49.4 million recorded a year earlier. June shipments, however, declined to $12.6 million from $19.7 million in June 2025.
China bought corn from 18 countries during the period. Russia retained second place behind Brazil, whose shipments were valued at $147.9 million. Russian corn exports to China had already risen to $107.6 million in 2025 from $34.2 million in 2024.
Market access limits further expansion
Russia can currently supply China only with spring wheat and spring barley. Russian industry experts consider winter wheat and winter barley to have the greater export potential, and Russia is seeking authorization to place those grains on the Chinese market. Wider access could expand the range of eligible production, although the customs data show that Russian wheat still competes with much larger established suppliers.
Oats presented a mixed picture. Chinese imports from Russia increased fivefold year on year in June to $6.6 million from $1.3 million, but the six-month total fell to $22.6 million from $25.1 million. China sourced oats from four countries, with Australia the largest supplier at $99.5 million. Across the four grains, the figures point to stronger Russian sales in wheat, barley and corn during the half-year, alongside lower cumulative oat trade and uneven monthly performance.
