Duties on Canadian agricultural products allowed Russia to capture China’s pea market

Canada has traditionally been one of the key suppliers of peas to China. According to China’s customs data, in 2024 Canada accounted for 42% of China’s pea imports, or about 593 thousand tonnes. At the same time, Russia was actively expanding its shipments and, by the end of 2024, managed to surpass Canada, capturing 46% of Chinese imports and exporting about 650 thousand tonnes of peas. In 2025, the trend strengthened further. China’s pea imports from Canada fell by approximately 60%, while shipments from Russia increased by nearly 80%, allowing it to consolidate its leading position. An agreement signed between China and Ukraine in March 2025 to open pea trade has not yet resulted in actual shipments. In early 2026, Canada and China preliminarily agreed to potentially remove tariffs on a number of goods, including peas, starting March 1. This could restore competition between Canadian and Russian suppliers. At the same time, price is likely to remain the key factor in China’s ...