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

The trade confrontation between Canada and China has significantly reshaped the balance of power in the global pea market, allowing Russia to substantially strengthen its position in supplying this crop to China. After China introduced 100% tariffs on imports of Canadian agricultural products, including peas, in March 2025, competition for the Chinese market intensified sharply.

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 purchasing decisions. Following the news about the possible tariff removal, Canadian exporters began raising prices, which have already reached about $455/tonne CNF, while Russian peas are offered at approximately $252/tonne CFR Qingdao.

Experts do not rule out that Russia may retain its status as the main supplier of peas to China in 2026, particularly due to a record harvest. According to preliminary data, Russia’s pea production exceeded 5.2 million tonnes in 2025, nearly 40% higher than the previous year.

Tags: China, Canada, pea