ST. PETERSBURG, June 4. /TASS/. Russia’s agricultural exports to China increased by 48% tear-on-year in volume and 23% year-on-year in value in May to over 900,000 tons, worth almost $715 million, respectively, Ilya Ilyushin, head of the federal center Agroexport, told reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"China is a strategic trading partner for Russia. In May 2026, Russian companies exported over 900,000 tons of agricultural products to China, worth almost $715 million. Compared to the same period in 2025, the volume of deliveries increased by 48% in volume terms and 23% in value terms," said Ilyushin.

He noted that the top five agricultural products shipped to China in May 2026 in physical terms included peas (130,000 tons), soybeans (129,000 tons), rapeseed oil (99,000 tons), flaxseed (80,000 tons), and corn (73,000 tons).

"The growth in exports in May was primarily driven by soybeans, with shipments increasing 6.9-fold in volume terms. Dried peas also saw a 71% increase in volume, flaxseed a 2.2-fold increase, rapeseed cakes and meals a 17% increase, and other agricultural product categories," he said.

The official noted that several products were shipped in May that were not shipped in May last year: barley (over 54,000 tons), wheat (over 8,000 tons), flaxseed oil (over 6,000 tons), dried chickpeas (approximately 6,000 tons), and other items.

Ilyushin also recalled that a large-scale business mission of Russian agricultural exporters, organized jointly by Agroexport and the Russian Agriculture Ministry will be held in Guangzhou from June 24 to 26. "For the first time in the development of trade relations, more than 100 exporting companies from various agricultural sectors are participating in the Russian business mission. On the Chinese side, approximately 120 business and government representatives have already announced their participation," he said.

SPIEF is taking place on June 3-6. This year's main theme is "Pragmatic Dialogue: The Path to a Stable Future." The forum's program focuses on shaping a new model of global development amid the transformation of the world economy.

The Roscongress Foundation is the organizer of the forum, with TASS serving as its general information partner.