China has not yet allowed the import of peas from Ukraine, but has increased supplies from Russia

Despite the fact that China and Ukraine signed a phytosanitary protocol back in 2025, pea shipments to China have not yet begun. Due to martial law, China has been unable to conduct an audit of fields, storage facilities, processing facilities, ports, and the state control system.

The parties agreed on an inspection in video format, and specialists from the State Consumer Service, together with the Ukrainian Bean and Soybean Association, prepared materials and transferred them to Chinese partners, who, after analysis, must provide an official conclusion.

At the same time, China sharply increased its supply of peas from Russia after it imposed tariffs on Canadian peas on March 20, 2025. Thus, the share of Russian peas in Chinese imports of yellow peas in 2023 was 37%, in 2024 – 48%, and from January to November 2025 it grew to 66%.

Ukraine harvested a record pea harvest in 2025, so farmers expected active exports and high prices. During the harvest, the price of peas was 14-15 thousand UAH/t, but farmers held back sales, expecting prices to rise to 20 thousand UAH. As a result, exports amounted to only 200 thousand tons, carrying stocks increased to 250-300 thousand tons, and prices fell to 11-12 thousand UAH, reports Latifundist.

In addition, world pea prices were affected by:

• 30% duty refund by India,
• Turkey’s reorientation towards supplies from Russia,
• increasing production in the EU,
• world surplus (since Canada and Russia exported 3-4 million tons each).

Even if China resumes imports of Ukrainian peas (which traders expect), prices will not change significantly, given that Russian peas cost $300/t.

At the same time, pea processing is rapidly increasing in Ukraine — from bioglue to protein, which could change the balance of demand.

Tags: Ukraine, China, pea