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Reuters
13-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Trade quarrels to boost Russia-China agricultural trade, lobbies and analysts say
MOSCOW, March 13 (Reuters) - China is expected to step up imports of agricultural products from Russia in response to growing trade conflict with the U.S. and Canada, with trade in peas set to be one of the first to pick up. Last week China imposed import levies covering $21 billion worth of American agricultural and food products and on Saturday announced tariffs on some Canadian products including peas. Get a look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets with the Morning Bid U.S. newsletter. Sign up here. "This is a great opportunity for Russia to replace a competitor in the Chinese market, but we have to remember that China has been buying lots of higher quality peas from Canada, so not all our peas will do," Sergei Pluzhnikov, head of Russian Pulses Analytics said. China became the largest importer of Russian yellow peas in the 2023/24 season, with shipments totalling 1.13 million tons, Rusgrain reported. Russia does not publish official export statistics. Some competition could come from Ukraine which earlier this month signed an agreement with China which could pave the way for pea exports. Russian wheat could also see a growth in sales helping the country move towards its goal of increasing exports of agricultural products by 50 per cent by 2030 relative to 2021. China is one of its most important customers. WHEAT HOPES The head of analysis at grain shipment company Rusagrotrans, Igor Pavensky, suggested that the new U.S. tariffs could lead to an expansion of China's imports of Russian spring wheat, possibly before the end of the 2024/25 season (July/June) Russia has overtaken the U.S. in wheat supplies for the first time this season, having shipped 275,000 tons to China, he noted. U.S. wheat exports to China so far this season totalled only 139,100 tons, as of Feb. 27, down from 995,600 tons in the same period a year ago, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data. Wheat has been flowing from Siberia, which had accumulated high stocks, to Black Sea ports at a record pace aided by transport subsidies. "It is possible that in case of intensified purchases even before the end of the current season, China will start buying large shiploads of Russian wheat from the Black Sea ports", he said. Previously, wheat was exported to China almost entirely through border crossings and ports of the Far East. Andrei Sizov, head of the SovEcon agency, said trade conflict with the U.S. could help accelerate China's long-awaited decision to allow imports of Russian winter wheat. China banned winter wheat imports in the mid-1970s because of the presence of a fungal disease which can reduce crop yields and quality in some parts of Russia. There have been talks about lifting the ban but it remains in place. China does allowed spring wheat imports from Russia. Winter wheat, which has higher yields and is more profitable for farmers, accounts for about 70% of Russia's total wheat harvest.
Russia Today
11-03-2025
- Business
- Russia Today
Russian food exports to Africa increase 19%
Russian agricultural exports to African nations surpassed $7 billion in 2024, marking a 19% increase from the previous year, the export department of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture reported on Monday. Russian food products were exported to 45 African countries last year, with Egypt remaining the largest importer of Russian wheat. Additionally, Russia exported sunflower and soybean oil, legumes, flax seeds, yeast, and other products to the country. Algeria ranked second in terms of Russian food imports. It was followed by Libya, Kenya, and Tunisia, according to data from Agroexport. Cereals – mainly wheat, barley, and corn – accounted for 87% of all food shipments to the continent. Dairy product exports also saw significant growth last year. 'In the 2023/2024 season, African countries imported 21.2 million tons of wheat, accounting for 38% of Russia's total wheat exports and setting a record high. For comparison, 17.6 million tons were imported in the 2022/2023 season, and 10.6 million tons in the 2021/2022 season. Over the past five years, Africa's share has remained steady at around 40%, except for the 2022/2023 season, when it dropped to 35%,' said Igor Pavensky, head of the analysis department at Rusagrotrans, a railway infrastructure operator company. African countries already account for more than 50% of Russia's total wheat exports in the current season, with 18 million tons being shipped from July to February. The increase is driven by rising exports to Egypt, Algeria, Libya, and Morocco, as well as Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and other countries, Pavensky noted. In January, Eduard Zernin, chairman of the Russian Union of Grain Exporters, highlighted Africa's rising demand for Russian grain, attributing it to high quality and competitive pricing. 'In the current 2024-25 season, [Russian] exports to Morocco and Nigeria have already increased significantly. Kenya, which is already one of the main importers of Russian grain, is also expanding its volumes,' he reported. By the end of last year, Russia had overtaken France as Morocco's top grain supplier due to competitive pricing and France's limited supply, according to Ruslan Khasanov, head of the Center of Grain Quality Assurance, Russia's grain quality watchdog. Omar Yacoubi, head of the Moroccan National Federation of Grain and Legume Traders, told Reuters in October that France lacks sufficient supply, while Russia's competitive pricing has positioned it as the key 'market maker.' In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for a 50% increase in agricultural exports by 2030 compared to 2021 levels, which totaled $37 billion.
