Русский
Russia retained its position as the main supplier of crabs to the Chinese market in 2025, the Russian Fisheries Association (VARPE) has stated. Last year, Russia’s share in China’s crab imports in physical terms grew to 34.2% from 31.2% in 2024 and to 59.3% from 58.4% in value terms, VARPE said, citing Chinese customs statistics.
In 2025, Russia supplied 45,800 tonnes of crabs to China, up 10.4% year-on-year. The value of supplies remained at the previous year’s level at US$1.23 billion. VARPE stated that “The crab segment of Russian exports to China has essentially plateaued in terms of price. The average price per tonne of crab decreased almost 10% over the year.”
China is the world’s largest consumer and importer of crab, accounting for over 50% of global production consumption in 2025. China’s consumption reached roughly 2 million tons in 2025 with a market value exceeding US$17 billion. The nation’s demand is driven by a strong cultural preference for live and fresh seafood, especially during festivals, and a rapidly growing middle class.
The Russian Crab Group is Russia’s premier harvester in the Far East, operating a fleet of over 40 vessels focused on catching king, snow, and other crab types in the Bering, Okhotsk, and Barents seas. The company holds substantial quotas exceeding 25,000 tons annually. They are actively modernizing, with 10 new, advanced vessels ordered to replace older ones, enhancing live catch capabilities. Nationally, the Russian crab annual harvest is substantial, with total annual production often about 100,000 metric tons.
Russia’s main competitors in the Chinese crab market lag significantly behind. Vietnam, which holds second place, accounts for 7.44% in monetary terms and 13.35% in physical terms. In third place is Canada—its share was 5.37% in value terms and 4.78% in physical terms. In fourth place is Indonesia, with shares of 4.64% and 7.61%, respectively. Chile rounds out the top five with 5.37% and 2.44%, respectively.
