In 2025, the trade volume between Russia and China saw its first decline in five years, influenced by reduced demand for Chinese vehicles in Russia and a decrease in the value of Russian crude oil shipped to China, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday, referencing official statistics.

Last year, the total trade value between the two nations reached $228.1 billion, representing a 6.9% drop from the record $244.8 billion achieved in 2024, according to data from China’s General Administration of Customs.

This downturn halted a four-year trend of continuous growth in bilateral trade.

Chinese exports to Russia fell by 9.9% compared to the previous year, with Reuters highlighting that a significant portion of this decrease was due to a 46% drop in vehicle exports during the period from January to November 2025.

On the other hand, imports from China declined by 3.4%, primarily influenced by falling oil prices, as noted by Reuters.

However, despite the overall annual decrease, trade began to recover in December 2025, with a 2.2% increase in Chinese exports to Russia and a notable 17.1% rise in imports.

Since President Vladimir Putin initiated the large-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, China and Russia have bolstered their political and economic relationships, proclaiming a “no limits” partnership as they align against Western nations.

On a global scale, China’s General Administration of Customs reported a record trade volume of $6.48 trillion in 2025, reflecting a year-on-year rise of 3.8%.

Exports increased by 6.1%, primarily due to growth in markets outside the U.S., while imports showed only a slight gain of 0.5%.