Chinese imports of Russian fertilizer up 70% in 2023

China’s imports of Russian mineral fertilizers increased by 70% in 2023, rising to 3.5 million tonnes, Interfax reported on Wednesday, citing China’s General Administration of Customs. The monetary value of the goods purchased rose by 26% year on year to $1.3bn.

Deliveries of potassium chloride, China’s main fertilizer import from Russia, reached three million tonnes last year, up from 1.7 million tonnes in 2022, with the value rising 25% year on year to $1.1bn.

China’s potassium imports from Belarus also increased to nearly 3.5 million tonnes, totalling $1.5bn, up from 1.9 million tonnes at a value of $900mn in 2022, Interfax wrote.

Additionally, China’s import volume of complex fertilizers from Russia increased by 60% year on year in 2023, reaching 400,000 tonnes.