China Reduces Exports in October: Decline in Supplies to Russia and New Steps Towards the EU and the US
In October 2025, China’s exports unexpectedly fell by 1.1% compared to the same period last year, marking the worst performance since February. Economic analysts attribute this to the intensification of global trade tensions, particularly due to American sanctions and tariffs that have impacted the dynamics of China’s foreign trade.
This is reported by AgroReview
Decline in Exports to Russia and Global Consequences
Chinese exports to the Russian Federation have particularly decreased. In October, the volume of shipments in yuan dropped by 22% year-on-year, amounting to CNY 60.46 billion (approximately $8.49 billion). This decline is the largest in the past eight months. Overall, this marks the seventh consecutive month of negative dynamics in exports to Russia, with a reduction of 21.2% in September.
“The losses associated with trade tensions have reduced China’s export growth by about 2 percentage points, which is equivalent to approximately 0.3% of GDP.”
The total trade volume between China and Russia from January to October 2025 decreased by 8.7%, totaling CNY 1.31 trillion. Meanwhile, over the ten months, Chinese exports to Russia fell by 11.9% compared to the same period last year. Analysts cite declining demand and the impact of Western sanctions, which complicate bilateral trade, as the reasons for this trend.
New Steps Towards Cooperation with the EU and the US
Amid the decline in exports, China shows readiness to develop trade with the European Union. In particular, Beijing has agreed to resume the export of Nexperia semiconductor chips to Europe—these components are extremely important for the EU automotive industry. At the same time, China has stipulated that the chips will be used only for civilian purposes.
Furthermore, China announced the suspension of the ban on the export of rare earth metals to the US until November 27, 2026, which had been in effect since December 2024. This decision could impact the balance of power in high-tech manufacturing and energy, as rare earth metals are strategically important for many sectors of the economy.