Russia’s frozen beef exports to China rise 40% to $68.7 million
Russia exported $68.7 million of frozen beef to China in the first half of 2026, up from $48.7 million a year earlier. Shipments strengthened in June, but Russia remained far behind Brazil, Australia and Argentina in the Chinese market.
First-half export revenue reaches $68.7 million
Russia exported $68.7 million of frozen beef to China in January-June 2026, compared with $48.7 million in the same period of 2025, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs reported by Interfax. The increase amounted to $20 million, or approximately 41%, consistent with the agency’s description of a 1.4-fold rise.
The result extends the expansion of Russia’s frozen beef business in China. Full-year export revenue reached $100.2 million in 2025, up from $86.6 million in 2024. The first-half 2026 figure alone was therefore equivalent to more than two-thirds of Russia’s total revenue from these shipments last year, although the available data measure value rather than physical volume.
Monthly figures show uneven but sustained trade. Russian shipments were valued at $10.3 million in June, up from $8.7 million in May and $8.5 million in June 2025. April produced the strongest monthly result of 2026 so far, at $15.6 million.
Brazil retains an overwhelming lead
China purchased beef from 16 countries during the first half of 2026. Brazil remained the largest supplier by a wide margin, delivering $5.1 billion of beef to the Chinese market. Australia followed with $1.4 billion, while Argentina supplied $1.1 billion, according to Interfax.
These figures put Russia’s growth into perspective. Its $68.7 million of frozen beef sales represent a small fraction of the revenue recorded by the three leading suppliers. Brazil’s reported sales were more than 70 times the Russian figure. Russia is consequently expanding from a relatively low base rather than challenging the established hierarchy of China’s beef suppliers.
The customs figures also show that Russia’s access is concentrated in frozen product. Russia exported no fresh beef to China during the first half of 2026, after supplying $393,800 in the corresponding period of 2025. Australia is China’s leading source of fresh beef. For Russian processors and exporters, frozen beef therefore remains the principal commercial channel into the market.
Higher Russian prices shape the supply outlook
The export increase coincides with rising beef prices inside Russia. Lenta.ru reported that the average domestic beef price reached 744.9 rubles per kilogram on July 1, an increase of 15.58% year on year. Beef rose faster than the other meats cited: chicken gained 7.31% to 243.78 rubles per kilogram, while pork increased 1.9% to 392.22 rubles.
Higher domestic prices may support processor revenue, but they can also tighten the economics of export expansion if livestock and procurement costs rise faster than prices achievable in China. The customs data do not provide shipment volumes or average unit values, so they cannot establish how much of the 2026 revenue gain came from additional tonnage and how much resulted from pricing. Even so, the rise from $48.7 million to $68.7 million, together with stronger June sales, indicates that China is becoming a more valuable outlet for Russian frozen beef suppliers.
