In the first nine months of 2023, China shipped goods worth approximately 90 billion dollars to Russia. This figure marks a 1.5-fold increase compared with the same period in 2022, according to data cited by RBC and drawn from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China. The trend highlights a significant expansion in bilateral trade during that span, reflecting shifts in market demand and supply chain dynamics between the two nations.
From a value standpoint, exports of equipment to Russia rose by about 43 percent. Analysts noted that among the most frequently imported Chinese items were bulldozers and computer monitors, with transaction volumes reaching around 2.1 billion dollars for bulldozers and 1.2 billion dollars for monitors, underscoring demand in construction, infrastructure, and industrial sectors on the Russian side.
The list of popular Chinese exports to Russia also includes handheld pneumatic tools, along with valves and fittings, electric heating devices, and drills. These products appear to support a broad range of manufacturing, maintenance, and energy-related activities within Russia, contributing to a diversified trade portfolio between the two countries.
There was a sharp uptick in passenger vehicle imports from China to Russia. Expenditures on these vehicles climbed almost ninefold, reaching 9.38 billion dollars, while auto parts imports grew by about 50 percent to 1.66 billion dollars. In the same period, imports of tractors from China rose nearly tenfold during the ten months of 2023, illustrating a strong push in agricultural equipment and related machinery. These dynamics point to a growing integration of Chinese automotive and agricultural supply chains with the Russian market.
Earlier reports indicated a broader growth trajectory in Russia’s product exports to China, signaling reciprocal demand and a strengthening, though carefully monitored, commercial relationship between the two economies during 2023. The data emphasize how shifts in demand patterns, global supply chains, and policy considerations can shape cross-border trade flows between major regional players.
Attribution: General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China; summarized by RBC based on official data.