Russia-China ‘Meat Shuttle Service’ Delivers Huge Quantities Of Pork To China

Russia’s FESCO Transport Group, part of the Rosatom State Corporation, has transported more than 37,000 tonnes (3,000 TEU) of Russian pork to China since April 2024, when FESCO first stated this service. Pork is transported to China as part of the Meat Shuttle service, operated by a subsidiary of Dalreftrans, which is responsible for transporting sensitive and perishable goods in refrigerated containers.

More than half of the total volume of Russian pork went to Shanghai, with Yantian (Shenzhen) and Xingang (near Beijing) in second and third places. Most of the pork shipments originated at farms in Russia’s Central Federal District in European Russia.

After China lifted restrictions on pork supplies from Russia, domestic producers and exporters have demonstrated extraordinary activity in order to enter this market as quickly as possible. During the year, they successfully expanded the range of their pork products supplied to China. FESCO also played a role in this, offering its customers, the largest Russian meat producers, the most suitable logistical solutions, ensuring accelerated shipments of pork to different locations in China and expanding its route map for this purpose.

Restrictions on pork supplies from Russia had been imposed by China Customs since 2008 and had been in effect for more than 15 years. That was lifted in January 2024.

Pork accounts for about 34% of the world’s meat consumption, with forecasts of a rise from 112.6 metric kilotons in 2021 to 129 metric kilotons by 2031. China is the largest pork consumer, with half of the world’s pork consumption attributed to Chinese consumers.