In September, the Chinese government canceled unofficial subsidies that helped state-owned companies import copper and nickel from Russia. Previously, these benefits, in the form of discounts or fixed payments, compensated for logistics costs and provided competitive advantages to Russian suppliers.
According to Ukrinform, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine reported the news on Telegram.
It is noted that this decision was part of a strategy to optimize government spending and diversify import flows. Beijing is actively investing in copper and nickel mining in Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America, while seeking to protect the domestic market from price distortions caused by Russian metals sold at a discount due to Western sanctions. The cancellation of subsidies reduces the artificial advantage of suppliers from the Russian Federation and helps stabilize prices for Chinese manufacturers.
The changes reportedly came amid a decline in Chinese imports of most Russian commodities in January-June 2025: oil by 11% year-on-year, petroleum products by 28%, LNG by 13%, and wood and coal by 10%.
The Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine forecasts that Russian companies will feel the impact: the competitiveness of their metals in China will decline, and the profits of major producers such as Norilsk Nickel and Rusal United Company will shrink significantly.
As reported by Ukrinform, on September 15, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian said that Beijing considers economic cooperation between China and Russia to be legitimate and not directed against any third party. He also called on other countries not to interfere in the cooperation between Chinese and Russian companies.
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