Russia pork exports increase by 72% as shipments to China surge

RUSSIA – Russia’s pork exports in the first quarter of 2025 have jumped to 76,000 tons, marking a 72% rise compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from Agroexport, a government agency overseeing agricultural trade.

The value of those exports nearly doubled year-on-year, reaching an estimated US$180 million, driven largely by new and expanding international markets.

Officials attribute much of the growth to rising demand from China, which opened up to Russian pork imports in March 2024 after years of negotiations and inspections.

Agroexport reports that exports to China in the first quarter of 2025 grew more than 130 times over the same period last year, totaling approximately US$32 million.

Vietnam, already a key destination for Russian pork, also increased its imports, with volumes reportedly doubling in the first three months of the year.

Meanwhile, shipments to Belarus rose by 53%, adding to the overall upward trend seen across multiple regions.

Growing export footprint

The report from Agroexport also indicates that Russia’s pork industry has extended its reach, with products being shipped to 43 countries during the first quarter of 2025, up from 32 markets in the same period in 2024.

Ilya Ilyushin, who heads Agroexport, highlighted this expansion as part of the agency’s ongoing effort to open new markets for Russian meat producers.

Yuri Kovalev, chairman of the Russian Union of Pork Producers, told Forbes Russia that pork exports are growing across several regions and not limited to just one or two key markets.

The developments in the first quarter reflect trends observed throughout 2024, when pork exports rose by 34% compared to the previous year.

During the second half of 2024 alone, Russia exported 40,000 tons of pork to China, further confirming the significance of the Chinese market.

Outlook for 2025

For the remainder of 2025, Russian industry leaders expect further growth in pork exports, although at a potentially slower pace than in the first quarter.

Kovalev estimates an annual increase of 15% to 20% compared with 2024, with final figures likely depending on continued demand from China.

He added that Russian producers are aiming to double pork sales to China this year compared to last year’s volume.

In addition to increasing volumes, more Russian pork companies are entering the export market, with AgroEko announcing in April 2025 that it has started shipping pork to Vietnam.

AgroEko, which previously focused on markets like Belarus, Georgia, and Armenia, also began exporting to India, Serbia, and several African nations in 2024.

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