Russia-China transport volumes surge in 2026 amid expanded trade links
Road freight between Russia and China rose 35% in the first five months of 2026, alongside growth in rail and maritime transport.
Quick Look
Russia-China road freight jumped 35% in early 2026, while rail, maritime, and air passenger traffic also saw significant increases.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Russia and China have steadily expanded bilateral trade and infrastructure connectivity in recent years.
MOSCOW, September 8. /TASS/. The volume of road freight transportation between Russia and China increased by 35% in the first five months of 2026, the Russian Transport Ministry said.
"Over the first five months of 2026, road freight volumes increased by 35%. The sides agreed to exchange an additional 65,000 transport permits each in 2026, and tentatively 138,850 each in 2027," the ministry said.
The ministry noted that Russian airlines carried more than 1.3 mln passengers in the first five months of this year, up 50% from the same period in 2025. During the 2026 summer season, Russian and Chinese airlines are operating 309 flights per week, compared with 230 a year earlier.
The Transport Ministry also said that rail freight increased by 6.3% in 2025 to 186.8 mln metric tons. In May 2026, the two countries signed an agreement to build a second 1,435-mm-gauge main track on the Zabaikalsk-Manzhouli section, which will provide additional capacity for up to 11 mln metric tons of freight by 2030.
"In 2025, 196.75 mln metric tons of freight were transported between seaports, while in the first half of 2026 the figure reached 109.5 mln metric tons. That is 19.2% more than in the same period last year," the Russian Transport Ministry added.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Exchange of additional transport permits between Russia and China in 2026 and 2027.
Very likely · Within months
Open Questions
- What is the total monetary value of the increased freight?
- When will the Zabaikalsk-Manzhouli track expansion be completed?
