China’s imports from Russia surge to new high, defying US calls to cut ties over Ukraine war
- China’s monthly imports from Russia hit a record high of US$8.89 billion in April, up 56.6 per cent from a year earlier and 13.3 per cent higher than March
- Exports to Russia, however, dropped by 25.9 per cent from a year earlier to US$3.8 billion, after a 7.7 per cent year on year fall in March, customs data showed
China’s monthly imports of Russian products including energy hit a record high in April, with Beijing defying mounting Western pressure to distance itself from Moscow following its decision to invade Ukraine.
The value of imports from Russia – which has been hit by a barrage of sanctions by the United States and its allies – rose to a new high of US$8.89 billion in April, up 56.6 per cent from a year earlier and 13.3 per cent above March, according to South China Morning Post calculations based on data of the General Administration of Customs.
China imported 43 million metric tonnes of crude oil in April, an increase of 6.6 per cent from a year earlier. The total volume of crude imports for the January-April period dropped by 4.8 per cent to 171 million metric tonnes.
However, the average import price was 70.3 per cent higher than April 2021, according to Post calculations based on customs figures.