Russia becomes China’s third-largest pork supplier after 26.9% sales growth
Russia became China’s third-largest supplier of pork products in January-August 2026, overtaking the United Kingdom. Chinese purchases from Russia rose 26.9% year on year to $75.3 million, while August sales reached $13.3 million.
Russia moves ahead of the United Kingdom
Russia became China’s third-largest supplier of pork products in the first eight months of 2026, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs cited by Interfax. Chinese purchases from Russia totaled $75.3 million in January-August, up 26.9% from $59.4 million in the same period of 2025.
The increase put Russia ahead of the United Kingdom, which supplied China with $70.8 million of pork products during the period. China sourced the category from 17 countries in total, leaving Russian exporters with a place among the market’s leading suppliers only a little more than two years after commercial shipments began.
Spain remained China’s largest supplier, with sales of $312.4 million, while Brazil ranked second at $163.6 million. Russia’s value was therefore still less than half Brazil’s and less than one-quarter Spain’s, showing that its rise to third place represents a meaningful market entry but not yet a challenge to the two dominant suppliers.
August purchases accelerate
Chinese purchases from Russia reached $13.3 million in August 2026, compared with $11.3 million in August 2025 and $11.8 million in July 2026, Interfax reported. The year-on-year increase was about 18%, based on the customs values, while the supplied headline described the rise as 12%. The monthly value was also $1.5 million above July’s level.
The August result accounted for almost 18% of Russia’s January-August sales to China. If repeated, that pace would support further growth in the remaining months of the year, although the available customs data do not provide shipment volumes, product mix or average prices. The figures therefore show the value of trade rather than whether growth came from larger physical deliveries, higher prices or a combination of both.
Russia exported $86.5 million of pork products to China in all of 2025, 1.6 times the $53.3 million recorded in 2024. Sales in the first eight months of 2026 had already reached about 87% of the full-year 2025 total, providing producers and processors with a stronger base for expanding their presence in the Chinese market.
Supplier access broadens
Russian pork first entered the Chinese market in April 2024. China had removed its import ban in autumn 2023, and initial authorization was granted to three companies: Miratorg, Tambov Bacon, part of the Rusagro group, and Velikoluksky Meat Processing Plant.
The supplier base expanded in July 2026 when Kursk Meat Processing Plant was added to the list of eligible exporters. An additional approved plant can increase the amount of production available for China and spread export opportunities across more processors, although the customs figures do not disclose sales by company.
For Chinese buyers, Russia’s advance adds another sizeable source alongside established suppliers from Spain, Brazil and the United Kingdom. For Russian producers, the ranking confirms rapid progress since market access was restored, but the large gap with Spain and Brazil also defines the scale required for the next stage of growth. Future performance will depend on approved capacity, commercial competitiveness and the ability to maintain access to China’s regulated meat market.
